Jhulan Goswami appointed as Trinbago Knight Riders mentor ahead of WCPL 2024
Former India pacer Jhulan Goswami has been roped in by the Trinbago Knight Riders as a mentor for the upcoming 2024 Women's Caribbean Premier League (WCPL). This marks her maiden stint in an overseas T20 league.
Goswami is the bowling coach and mentor for the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Women's Premier League (WPL). She played a huge role behind the scenes to guide the franchise to the title in the inaugural edition in 2023.
She will have a couple of familiar names to work alongside as TKR recently finalized the signings of Indian players Jemimah Rodrigues and Shikha Pandey. The duo plays for the Delhi Capitals (DC) in the WPL. Other familiar names in the Deandra Dottin-led side include the Australian pair of Meg Lanning and Jess Jonassen.
"It's an honour to join such a quality franchise. Knight Riders have done so well in India and around the world, and to join TKR Women at the WCPL is a pleasure. Thanks to KKR management for thinking about me as a mentor and I'm really looking forward to this tournament," Goswami said in a statement released by Knight Riders.
"The conversation about me joining TKR started with Mr. Venky Mysore [CEO of Knight Riders group]. As a management head, the way he takes care of everyone is amazing. I felt really honoured by the way both Shah Rukh Khan and Venky sir welcomed me and spoke to me when we met in Kolkata during the IPL," Goswami added
The legendary pacer got into coaching after ending her playing career in 2022. She finished as the leading wicket-taker in international cricket at the time of her retirement.
"We strongly believe that under Jhulan's mentorship, the team will reach greater heights" - Venky Mysore on Goswami's appointment as team mentor
TKR finished last in the previous edition of the WCPL with only a solitary win. The Knight Riders group has recently tasted success with the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) title and would like to replicate something similar in the Caribbean.
"Jhulan Goswami is an absolute legend of the game, and we are very happy to have her on board as the mentor of the TKR Women's team. We strongly believe that under Jhulan's mentorship, the team will reach greater heights. It's a fantastic opportunity for the youngsters to pick Jhulan's brains and learn from her experiences to become better cricketers themselves. We would like to wish her all the best, and look forward to seeing her in the TKR setup soon," Venky Mysore said in the same statement.
2024 WCPL is scheduled to take place from August 21 to 29. The three-team event includes TKR, the Barbados Royals women's team, and the Guyana Amazon Warriors women's team. The Hayley Matthews-led Royals are the defending champions.