Special Interview - Santosh Gopi ( CCL Chennai Rhinos Head Coach )

The CCL season is ripe and running and Tamil Cinema fans have turned their heads to the event where celebrities and cricket come together for some real action. As the end of the road is near for the Chennai Rhinos, Siddarth Srinivas from Team Cinema Lead catches up with Santosh Gopi, the head coach of the Chennai Rhinos, as he shares with us his experiences of working with the stars.

Here we go!

SS : Good day sir! To start off, tell us a little bit about how CCL began for you.

SG : I’ve officially been with the Chennai Rhinos for a year. I joined in last season, right before the semi-finals. Since I have played a few games under Vishnu’s captaincy, he called me in for some help as the Chennai Rhinos were in a bad patch and only a win against the Karnataka Bulldozers would put them in the semis. As I had already seen the practice matches and knew the knack of his technique, I began helping him out. Vikraanth, Jiiva and Shantanu joined in, and we began discussing tactics. At the end of the day, they accommodated me into the coaching side, and I aided them in field sets during the Karnataka game. Chennai won that game, the rest is history.

SS : Playing cricket isn’t the Chennai Rhinos’ forte. How do they co-op up? Do they play the game with a passion or is it forced upon them?

SG : Their passion for the game is very high. Cricket is a game enjoyed by all Indians. Just as they set specific timings for their shoot, they have set timings for their practice sessions too. They don’t like to skip practice and always catch up by adjusting their timings according to their busy schedules. No one is forcing them, they are very dedicated.

SS : Just like the IPL, CCL is also growing rapidly. How do you feel, is the reception for this tournament?

SG : When we go out for matches other than CCL, the public keep on asking us as to when it will begin and also point out some catchy moments from the games. The response has certainly has boomed up.

SS : When the actors get praised for something other than their acting, how do they feel?

SG : It’s a very big thing for them to excel in something other than their field. So they take it in a very big manner and feel proud about it.

SS : Your favorite player in the team? Who are you most comfortable with?

SG : All are my favorites (laughs). Since I’m Vikraanth’s personal coach and know him very well, I share a good rapport with him.

SS : The Chennai Rhinos ruled the roost last year to take away the trophy. What could have been missing this year?

SG : Just like how yellow is for Chennai, luck too has to smile upon us. In the finals, we dropped 5 catches but still ended up winning the game. They say catches win matches, but we changed that. That’s because the luck was on our side. But this time, it doesn’t seem to be anywhere around. In the first match we put up a flawless 180, but the opponents played good cricket and outplayed us. The second game was washed out. In the third game, we were in the driver’s seat until the 18^th over. Vikraanth and Vishnu got out consecutively, and the match met its end. A little bit of luck, and we could have crossed the bar.

SS : How does it feel to put it all together? It is easy or tough, to be the coach of the Chennai Rhinos.

SG : I have coached a lot of school and college teams. What lies as a cushion coaching the Rhinos is that the work is divided here. On field, Vishal is a brilliant captain. I don’t have to talk to each player separately. If I just pass the word to him, he makes sure that each player knows his job. The manager Mr.Ramesh too, is really helpful in ensuring the comfortability and fitness of the players. Thanks to God, I feel really good here. Someone is always there to lend a helping hand.

SS : Other than concentrating on CCL, how is your interest towards movies?

SG : I enjoy Tamil movies a lot. I’m a big fan of the Ulaganayagan! (smiles)

SS : What about your family’s support in this path?

SG : Well of course. I cannot do anything without my family’s support. Since we had to play two night games, our practice sessions began at 7 and went on till 9.30. The clock would strike 12 by the time I’d reach home, therefore having no time to spend with the family. Yet, my wife and daughter are very supportive and encourage me to go on with my job, smoothly.

CCL is a very entertaining tournament and the buzz is rocketing up as the days pass by. We at Cinema Lead wish Mr.Santhosh Gopi with more success in the coming years and thank him for his interaction with the team.

Interviewed by Siddarth Srinivas