Jhulan Goswami, a former cricketer for India and a veteran of Indian women’s cricket, will serve as the mentor and bowling coach for the Mumbai-based team in the first Women’s Premier League. After playing her final game at the storied Lord’s Cricket Ground in September 2022, the former India bowler announced her retirement from international cricket. The Women’s Premier League (WPL) was officially launched by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) earlier this month, and five of the 17 bids were successful in securing a franchise in the league. India win Sports Pvt. Ltd. won the Mumbai franchise for INR 912.99 crore after receiving a record-breaking INR 4669.99 crore in total bids.
Goswami’s addition to the team’s coaching staff was reported by ESPNCricinfo, despite no formal confirmation from the Mumbai franchise to date. Sourav Ganguly, the former president of the BCCI, who will now serve as the director of the Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League, confirmed the news. Earlier, there had been rumors that the Delhi Capitals-owned WPL team had signed Jhulan Goswami, however, on January 31st, Ganguly told the media at Eden Gardens: “Jhulan has gone to Mumbai. We had given her an offer, but she is going to Mumbai.”
The player auctions will be the next significant event for the inaugural WPL now that the teams have been decided. Many Indian and foreign players had been waiting for the event to start, and many immediately enrolled for the same at the announcement. The auction is probably going to happen in February because the event is set to take place during the March 2023 window. The BCCI has not yet made a final decision, but the auction is most likely to happen on February 11 in New Delhi or on February 13 in Mumbai. The Women’s T20 World Cup, which will start on February 10 in South Africa, is presently preparing the majority of the participants.