India is a country with people enthusiastic for sports, be it outdoor or indoor, or even board games and video games. There is no denying that cricket has put India on the world map, but the nation is growing in sports gaming as well – a field that has earned the interest of the current generation like never before.
Counter-Strike:GO, League of Legends, DOTA-2, Overwatch… These are some of the most played eSports in India and globally.
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While the industry is rapidly growing, the concept has not reached the households as much as it should have by now. Not many are ready to invest in the eSports field as the concept of professional gaming is still unfamiliar to most people.
Here’s a list of the Top 5 Indian eSports players who have made a name for themselves in this niche industry.
Raunak ‘Crowley’ Sen
The 25-year-old gamer has made a mark for himself as an eSports player in India playing passionately the DOTA 2 game. Raunak, who was introduced to eSports by his brother, earned the recognition for his game sense and Mid-Lane skills (one of the three core positions in the game). Raunak is known for his trademark beard and super frank personality, and has triumphed in everything there is to win at DOTA in India.
Someone who literally eats and breathes DOTA 2, Raunak kick-started his eSports career with Counter-Strike 1.6 when he lived in Mumbai. He switched to DOTA 1 and 2 when he was just 12 or 13 years old. He currently plays for Global eSports and is a part of Team Signify.
Karan Mhawadkarb (Excali)
Karan was interested in video or computer games since his childhood. His friend introduced him to Counter-Strike 1.6 and there was no looking back since then. A professional CS: GO player, he has been playing for Team Entity since 2018. He has won several tournaments with his respective teams in India including the ESL India Premiership and Mountain Dew Arena and has already earned an approximate of $16,590.
Why CS:GO? Because it is a very competitive game and Karan considers himself a competitive person both in game and in real life.
Ankur Diwakar (Jauntytank)
A veteran in India’s FIFA gaming industry, Ankur is easily the most well-connected FIFA gamer in India and is known for his unique style of play. Fondly called ‘Jauntytank’ in his gaming circle, Ankur won the first season of UCypher MTV India tournament. He played at the Asia Games in 2018 under the Indian flag and is the current South Asian Champion. As a kid, he started playing FIFA on PlayStation One and that triggered his interest in gaming.
Although he specialises in FIFA, Ankur also plays Pro Evolution Soccer and other games on consoles. He has won three majors in three different games in a single year and which is why he is known as the ‘The Most Versatile Pro Gamer’ in India.
An experienced gamer, Ankur has won several major championships and continues to educate the budding gamers in eSports. In addition, Ankur also holds a certified degree of Diploma in Game Designing & Integration (DGDI).
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Kartikeya Behl
Kartikeya, who hails from Delhi, is a professional FIFA gamer and in a short span of time, he has accomplished quite a lot to earn the deserving recognition in the eSports industry in India. His biggest achievement so far would be winning the 2017 Asian Football Gaming Championship in Thailand. Thus Kartikeya became the first Indian ever to win an international eSports tournament. In the following year, he finished in the top-12 in the Singapore tournament and he was just one of the three Indians in the event. He even won the PSG-ESports Cup in 2019.
Team Soul – India Mortal, Viper, Owais, and Ronak
Team Soul, comprising of four players: India Mortal, Viper, Owais, and Ronak, hands down is the best PUBG Mobile squad out there in India. Mortal and Viper, who have been there since the beginning, has each earned approx $38,000 and are reportedly the highest-paid gamers in India.
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