Jhulan Goswami with her mother at their Chakdah home on Friday. Picture by Santosh Ghosh

Calcutta/Chakdah: A 20-year-old, among thousands assembled to greet Jhulan Goswami near her Chakdah home on Friday, screamed: “Chak de Jhulan.”

Jhulan wasn’t amused. “Please call me the Chakdah girl, not the chak de girl,” said ICC’s Women’s Cricketer of the Year.

That summed up the spirit of the occasion: the homecoming of a 23-year-old with an award any cricketer dreams of receiving at the game’s biggest stage. The whole of Chakdah seemed to have descended on the roads to catch a glimpse of one of their own.

Jhulan, who arrived in Delhi from Johannesburg on Thursday, flew in to Calcutta on Friday afternoon. There was total chaos at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International airport when Jhulan’s plane landed an hour late, at 12.30 pm. Police force had to resort to a light baton charge to keep jostling mediapersons and fans at bay.

The lanky fast bowler was whisked away in a Tata Sumo moments after she emerged from the tarmac. The car halted at the Air India office and a Kali temple before speeding towards Nadia district.

Once in Chakdah, Jhulan was shifted to an open Matador for the final leg of her journey home.

A distance of half a kilometre, from the National highway to Lalpur, took about two hours as people from shops, schools and offices reached out to her and showered flower and garlands.

“Please don’t compare me to the chak de girls because I don’t want to become a heroine. I want to set an example for the next generation of girls,” she added.

“I wanted to become one of the best players in the world. I am thankful to those who blessed me wholeheartedly and helped me achieve that goal,” Jhulan said.

She felt that the road for women cricketers in India was a bumpy one, but all obstacles could be overcome with determination.

“Many in Chakdah initially thought I was chasing a mirage. I took a big risk by sacrificing studies for cricket. But I have no complaints against anyone as they must have realised now that even a girl like me can achieve a lot of things,” she said.

She said Sachin Tendulkar and Anil Kumble were among those who had congratulated her. Also chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee.

Recalling her days of struggle in Chakdah as well as in Calcutta — where she used to play for a local club — Jhulan said she would have been better off with more financial support in her initial years.

“Don’t give me money now as I have reached my peak. Give money to the girls who are starting off and badly need help,” she said when asked how much assistance she receives now.

Mother Jharna could not hold back the tears once the Matador reached its destination. “Whatever you have become, you remain my little daughter,” she said hugging Jhulan, tears of joy rolling down her cheeks.