The Indian Dota 2 esports team sailed past South Asian rivals to qualify for the Asian Championship LAN Finals in Ryadh. And the next step is for them to enter the upcoming 15th World Esports Championships.
Last year, the Indian Dota 2 team created history by winning the Bronze medal at the Commonwealth Esports Championships 2022. And now, they are set on the path to creating new history by representing their nation in the international arena.
However, despite their success last year, almost the entirety of the Indian Dota 2 roster has been changed. From the captain to every single member of the roster. In a closed interview, we reached out to one of the youngest and newest additions to the roster, Krish Gupta. He had many perspectives to add to the story of India making it to the big stage and some more.
Contents
- Team India’s journey to the world stage
- Krish and Co. talk about their preparations ahead of the 15th World Esports Championships
- The solitary journey of Krish Gupta in joining Team India
Team India’s journey to the world stage
In the hopes to achieve big things at the 15th World Esports Championships, India entered the South Asian qualifiers for the upcoming Asian Championships LAN Finals. During their time at the qualifiers, team India sailed past every single opponent the region had to offer. This time around, almost the entire roster was changed from the team that won the Bronze medal last year. Only HBK and Abhi- are the two players that carry forward the Bronze medal-winning baton from last year. The new and reformed roster of the Indian Dota 2 team competing for the upcoming major world championship is:
- Manav “mnz” Kunte (Captain)
- Vishal “HBK” Vernekar
- Abhishek “Abhi-” Yadav
- Krish “Krish'” Gupta
- Shahbaz “PinkMaN” Hussain
- Jaikishan “KaEL” Malik (Substitute)
There, they faced Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. Here are the scorelines of the matches between India and other countries in best-of-1 matches.
Day 1
- Defeated Pakistan with a 54-12 scoreline
- Defeated Sri Lanka with a 39-14 scoreline
Day 2
- Defeated Bangaledh with a 40-16 scoreline
- Defeated Nepal with a 47-24 scoreline
The Grand Final featured a best-of-3 format where India once again faced Nepal. And in a similar fashion as before. they clinched victory by cleanly sweeping Nepal 2-0 in the final to qualify for the Asian Championships LAN Finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Here they will face the giants of Asia to stand a chance on the big stage. The big names that they are set to face at the LAN Finals consist of Kyrgyzstan, the Philippines, Mongolia, Australia, Jordan, Myanmar, and Saudi Arabia.
Krish and Co. talk about their preparations ahead of the 15th World Esports Championships
Upon asking how he felt representing India on the bigger stage, a wave of positivity and enthusiasm flew out of his mouth. He said,
We are pretty prepared for the upcoming Asian Championships LAN Finals. Currently, we are doing alright I would say. haven’t really practiced much since the qualifiers. But there is more to achieve and we are hyped to face the challenges that await us.
Even their captain, Manav Gupta added words of enthusiasm stating, “We came into the South Asian qualifiers with the goal of proving ourselves in the region and we are proud to have achieved that.” He also said that defeating all those teams from the region in stellar fashion only is a testament to the hard work and dedication we put in as a team.
The solitary journey of Krish Gupta in joining Team India
Krish started out his career as a novice in the Dota 2 esports scene back in 2018. His first team was Reckoning Esports from where he marched on to keep grinding for a better opportunity. From there on, he took turns through many teams until finally his breakthrough to the international scene happened with Team D back in 2021.
However, his main prowess was showcased under the international banner of TNC Predator. And from there, he joined IHC Esports where Krish competed for the DPC SEA 2023 Tour 2: Division 2. Upon asking about his journey, he said, “I played with a lot of startups until my big break happened with TNC Predators. Even for IHC Esports, I knew a lot of them from back when I used to play pubs with the stack.”
He went on to add, “It was quite literally an eye-opening experience and it made me understand how Dota 2 is played differently by international players.”
He went through a long journey to get international recognition that led him to today where he stands to represent India on a bigger stage. And seeing how they expressed their enthusiasm and confidence, we can easily say that the roster is set to achieve great things. Be it in the upcoming 15th World Esports Championships or any other international tournament in the future.
Krish parts words of enthusiasm for aspiring Dota 2 athletes in India
If Krish and the team’s recent performance and feats do not inspire you enough to pursue a career in Dota 2 esports, here is something for you. Krish added a few lines that will surely help you in your future endeavors. When asked about the Dota 2 esports scene’s revival in India, he said, “There are many LAN tournaments being held in India after a long while. Skyesports and ILG are organizations that are once again venturing into Dota 2 esports.”
And as for personal growth, he adds, “I think the main part is for you to keep grinding. Keep playing and improve your gameplay to get recognition in the international scene. And last but not least, be humble!”
Ever since last year’s Bronze medal win, the Dota 2 community in India has been looking up to the team. And with their recent success in the qualifiers of the LAN Finals, it has only increased by ten folds. Both Team India and the Esports Federation of India (ESFI) are confident in delivering upon such expectations. And it is only a wait of time until we see them competing in the 15th World Esports Championships.
