MinD_ContRoL and Kitrak Talk About Playing With OG at the Berlin Major 2023

Rakshak Kathuria
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<div class="paragraphs"><p>MinD_ContRoL with OG at the ESL One Berlin Major 2023.</p></div>
MinD_ContRoL with OG at the ESL One Berlin Major 2023.

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ESL 

Highlights
During an interview at the ESL One Berlin Major 2023, the two OG stand-ins, Ivan "MinD_ContRoL" Ivanov and Kartik "Kitrak" Rathi, described their experiences with the team.
Kitrak mentioned that the squad was very accommodating and never made him feel like a stand-in while MinD_ContRoL expressed his joy at finally being able to participate in a Major after a long period.
OG has done well in Group B of the ESL One Berlin Major 2023 so far and will play its final two series on 29th April 2023, versus Beastcoast and Shopify Rebellion.

Although OG has fielded two stand-ins at the ESL One Berlin Major 2023, the team has been one of the more impressive teams in Group B of the event, with a solid chance of qualifying for the upper bracket playoffs. The two stand-ins Ivan “MinD_ContRoL” Ivanov and Kartik “Kitrak” Rathi discussed their experiences with OG during an interview at the Major group stage venue. Kitrak noted that the team was very accommodating and never made him feel like he was playing for the first time with them, while MinD_ContRoL commented that he was happy to finally be able to play in a Major after a long time. The last Major that MinD_ContRoL participated in was the WePlay AniMajor that took place in 2021.

MinD_ContRoL and Kitrak share thoughts on the OG stand-in experience

MinD_ContRoL didn't offer much as he was simply relieved to play at a Major after almost two years of missing out. “It’s very nice. I don’t play Major in a while. It feels good,” he said.

Meanwhile, Kitrak feels like he is already a member of the team as his brief time at the Major has been marked with positive synergy. So far, he's had an enjoyable experience in his first Major as a professional Dota 2 player.

“Playing as a stand-in with OG has been super enjoyable so far. Everyone has been very accommodating. The team has been really helpful. I don’t feel like an outsider at all on this team which is really nice so yeah, I think it’s been super enjoyable so far.”

The interview took place before the series against Invictus Gaming (IG), so the two players also shared their thoughts on the matchup.

“The matchup against IG - we haven’t done any research on them yet. I imagine we’ll do our prep tonight. They look like a super solid team. I was watching some of their games against Shopify and they looked good so definitely going to be a tough match,” said Kitrak.

Although Invictus Gaming has had a poor run in the Major so far, MinD_ContRoL was wary of dropping the ball.

“We will prepare probably later but I feel very confident. I feel very confident but I respect everyone anyways. If anyone underestimates someone, you lose actually. Never underestimate anyone.”

As comfortable as OG still is in regards to their chances of making it to the upper bracket playoffs, losing one game against Invictus Gaming, which had been on a nine-game losing streak before, may not have been ideal.

In Group B, OG still has two series to play - against beastcoast and Shopify Rebellion on 29th April 2023.

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Rakshak Kathuriatwitter_link
As a passionate Dota 2 fan for eight years, Rakshak has indulged himself completely in its esports circuit for the past two years as a professional. In addition to covering major news developments, he takes a keen interest in understanding team strengths and player personalities.
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