Gaming
esports
8 Indian gamers you need to know
When it comes to Indian esports, only a handful of gamers stand tall over the rest. Learn more about the top gamers in Dota 2, CS: GO and other top games.
The Indian esport scene is booming. With each passing event, the horizon of the ecosystem is pushed miles ahead. With bigger prize pools come amazing plays. With amazing plays come fascinating players. The Indian scene’s talents have never looked more robust, and the landscape has never looked this good. It is about time that we recognize the immense potential in the scene and give due credit to our future stars.
Ankit "V3nom" Panth
© Ankit Panth
Ankit “V3nom” Panth - Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Ankit Panth has fulfilled his dreams of becoming a professional gamer with dedication and a humble attitude. Coming from a middle-class family, Ankit had his parents' support as he worked hard to build out his career himself. Aside from his successful gaming career, he is also known for dabbling with DJing and his dedication to fitness. “There was a time where people used to see me as a bad influence because I played a computer game and they thought that I was just wasting my life and would never earn from this,” he says. “I’m glad to say that I proved them wrong.”
Saransh Jain
© Saransh Jain
Saransh Jain - FIFA
Saransh never really knew whether he would be able to go professional. “It all started with a local tournament in Pune where a couple of friends and I just went to see what it looks like and participate. I won the tournament with a dominant performance and was unbeaten for quite some time, this made me realize that this actually might be my cup of tea,” he says. The journey hasn’t been easy, and a couple of roadblocks bar the otherwise perfect Cinderella story. “I have to balance studies and gaming which meant that I took a setback in both of these fields.” Saransh has his eyes set at becoming the best in Asia.
Krish “MooN” Gupta - Dota 2
Few share a story as remarkable as Krish. He started playing Dota 1 when he was 8, and while many changes happened in his life, one thing that remained constant was his dedication towards the game. He pursued the solo ranked warrior life for a good year and soon got noticed by people for having a fascinating MMR of 4k at the tender age of 13! He went on to secure a sponsorship from the then Entity Esports. Today, he’s breached into the 7k bracket on SEA and is the star player for Entity Gaming’s active squad, all at the age of 16!
Amit “Zapheto” Malwal - Dota 2
Amit’s venture into video games began at the age of 5 with Tomb Raider. He developed a passion for gaming when he was introduced to Dota 2 at the age of 13. The A-star student chose to make gaming his life, sacrificing many things along his journey. Zapheto currently plays position 4 for Entity Gaming. “There have been many events in life that made me question my choice of career. I’m happy to have reached a place where I can confidently say that I am walking on the right path,” he says.
Simar "Psy" Sethi
© AFK Gaming
Simar “Psy” Sethi - Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
“Back in 2012 when my family and I moved to Mumbai, my friends were all hyped up over the game Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) where they frequently spoke about skins which got me intrigued. A few days after, my friend bought me a copy of CSGO on Steam which, after giving some time to, got me hooked.” Since then, there has been no turning back for the 20-year-old who is now among India’s elite players. Simar thereafter began keenly following the domestic scene in India and thought, “I could do that!” And indeed he did! Unfortunately, he injured his hand and was diagnosed with RSI (Repetitive strain injury). “But that definitely doesn’t stop my plans on improving myself to compete at the highest level of CSGO globally,” he says.
Aditya “Spammy” Singh Nathawat - Fortnite
For Aditya, it all started when he saw some friends of his playing Counter-Strike at a local cafe. It took only but a glimpse of that game which led him down the esports road. There was no turning back. Spammy always had a desire to be better at any game he played. Whether it be World of Warcraft or Fortnite (which he now plays professionally), getting a taste of victory and climbing the ladder means everything to him. “Every engagement is different from the other, and there is always things to learn or to do differently as the meta constantly changes,” he says. “My current goals include growing my YouTube channel and train hard for the upcoming Fortnite World Cup.”
NGHTMRE2K
© Global eSports
Vatsal "NGHTMRE2K" Uniyal - Overwatch
“I started video games when I was 12. Playing with schoolmates in the evening and then skipping cricket coaching in the weekend was my jam,” says Vatsal. One day, he found a Counter-Strike 1.6 frag movie on YouTube which got him hooked to the game. He began playing it with a new-found zeal that soon developed into a passion. He went on to closely learn the mechanics of the game and soon formed a bond with gaming. His motivation to go pro came when he won the first edition of the NVIDIA GeForce Cup. “It was a huge confidence booster to me,” he adds. Today, he plays for Global eSports and his goals include making it big under their banner and putting all his time and effort to achieve that.
Cruzi
© Global eSports
Aman "Cruzi" Vivek - Overwatch
Aman started playing video games at the age of 4. Setting up the Atari and N64, he would spend hours dallying with Smash Bros on a wooden stool with a friend. “In 2nd grade, my dad introduced me to PC gaming. I learned Dave, the first Need for Speed, and Tomb Raider. It was an enthralling experience!” What made him go pro is a story in itself. “I got invited to join a cafe team for the GeForce Cup. My initial goal was to try my best and see if things go ahead. As it happened, I was contacted to play for Playerz eSports for the Hyderabad tournament. We won the tournament, one this led to another, and today I am counted among the top players in India!”
There are plenty of important things to glean from the top players in India. Many of them started off with a passion for playing video games and turned that into a career. Some are dedicated to other interests but make time for competition in their favourite games. Everyone has fought and worked hard to attain their spot. So while international figures like Faker, Destiny, Fatal1ty, Soon and many others have achieved a measure of fame, the top players from India are no less in their drive and ambition.
