WCL: Former pacer Jhulan Goswami joins Trinbago Knight Riders as mentor

Former India pacer Jhulan Goswami has joined Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) as a mentor ahead of the women's Caribbean Premier League.

In an illustrious international career spanning 20 years, Goswami bagged 355 wickets across formats for India before retiring in 2022.

She will be seen in the role of mentor to a team led by star all-rounder Deandra Dottin, who captained TKR Women to the championship title in the inaugural season of WCPL in 2021.

"It's an honour to join such a quality franchise," Goswami, the former speedster from Kolkata, said in a release.

"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."

The Knight Riders management recently added international superstars Jemimah Rodrigues, Meg Lanning, Jess Jonassen and Shikha Pandey to the squad, in a quest to lift a second WCPL trophy when the action begins in Trinidad & Tobago this August.

Speaking on Goswami's addition to the TKR setup, Venky Mysore, CEO of the Knight Riders group said: "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. TKR is a very proud unit, with five championship titles between the men's and women teams over the last 10 years."

"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."

TKR Women will play four league matches (vs Barbados Royals and Guyana Amazon Warriors) from August 22-27. The final is scheduled for August 29 at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba.

TKR Women's squad for WCPL 2024:

Retained Caribbean Players: Deandra Dottin (c), Kycia Knight (wk), Shamila Connell, Zaida James, Samara Ramnath; New Signings: Meg Lanning, Jemimah Rodrigues, Jess Jonassen, Shikha Pandey; Note: The remaining six slots in the 15-member squad will be filled in the WCPL Draft later this month.