VB Gokulakrishnan TNPL

The once 'Dreaded Duo' in the City League join hands once again with VB Chandrasekar roping in J Gokulakrishnan as the coach of his team in the TNPL 

One will have to wait and watch if this combination will make it happen again like they did in the 1990s

                       

Just over 25 years after they formed one of the potent combinations in the city league, former captain of India Cements VB Chandrasekar and his new ball bowler of the time J Gokulakrishnan (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2017/03/gokulakrishnan-j.html), who spearheaded the bowling attack of India Cements in the 1990s and anchored many a victory that decade have come together again, this time in the fourth edition of the TNPL.

As soon as he decided to throw himself into the local TN T20 league, VBC ( http://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2016/01/vb-chandrasekar.html) was keen to rope in his mentee from the 1990s. However the terms did not work out at that time. While Gokulakrishnan along with his brother Madanagopal coached Tuti Patiriots to two successive finals  (including winning one), VBC’s team has not fared particularly well in the TNPL so far (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2016/09/tnpl.html). 

When the duo moved on to the Coimbatore team last year, it was the match against VB’s team that undid the season for them as they collapsed chasing a mediocre target.

VBC once again looked for Gokulakrishnan ahead of the new season that is set to start in the third week of this month. However, with Gokul committed to the Coimbatore team, it seemed that the once feared combination may not come together yet another time.

But things turned around suddenly over the last week as Gokul and Madan parted ways with the Coimbatore team. And finally, after three years, VBC as he always does has had his way even if it has come a little late this time and has signed up Gokulakrishnan as the coach for his team.

For both VBC and Gokulakrishnan, winning was a driving force in the way they played their cricket. And it is likely that this combo will go all out this season to give it a winning shot.

It will be interesting to wait and watch as to how this once dreaded combination fare this time around. 

(Teams from the TNPL have shown interest in roping in Madanagopal, who has been rated highly as a coach and mentor by the players in TN.  However, if nothing works out soon, he may take the call to make himself available to umpire for the first time in the TNPL, this season)