yb on forsaken scandal: "There was a lot of negativity and hate towards all of us players"

True Rippers recently secured the services of yb as the Head Coach of their CS2 division. His return to the game comes after a long hiatus, particularly in the Indian region. yb had previously been part of teams like Asking Questions and Optic India. Now that he is back, yb believes he has all the key ingredients to take True Rippers to an international level.

I have always enjoyed competing in the Indian Counter-Strike scene, which is why I decided to return. My current focus is to find a project that I genuinely enjoy, and I felt that India would be the perfect place to pursue this. Having spent a long time in the Indian scene, I want to help prove that it can compete on an international level.

The infamous incident involving Optic India's player, forsaken, sent shockwaves through the Indian CS scene, leading Optic to withdraw from India. This turmoil had long-lasting aftereffects that are still evident in the Indian Counter-Strike landscape today. The scandal not only impacted Indian players but also everyone involved with the Indian scene, including yb.

It's been a while since then. Back then I had a lot of doubts, self doubts and because there was a lot of negativity and hate towards all of us players. But in-between all that, there were many supporters as well which I am very grateful for. Every single one of them. Luckily I was contacted almost immediately for new offers and so I really wanted to prove that our previous performance was not only because of one player and looking back to it now I am sure it was the right choice for me to stick around.

The Indian CS scene has undoubtedly been healing. It's interesting to explore whether the current ceiling is at an all-time high or still has room to grow. When asked to contrast the current scene with the past, yb noted that the individual skill level has significantly increased.

It has been a while, and it is not easy to compare, especially with the change to CS2. However, my personal observation is that the individual skill level of players has significantly improved. While the strategic depth and coordination of some teams might have been stronger in the past, today's players excel in aspects like aiming and individual decision-making.

yb had only good things to say about the True Rippers (TR) camp. He praised their high individual skill levels while also noting that there is room for improvement in their coordination, which he believes they can achieve together.

The guys display impressive individual skill, although there is still room for improvement in team play and coordination. By implementing the right structures and fostering better teamwork, I believe we can achieve significant progress and improved consistency in a relatively short period, which I am excited about.

When asked how long it will take for the Indian scene to reach Tier-1 level, yb responded positively, providing a detailed roadmap to achieve this goal.

I believe it is possible within three years, but only with the right steps. There are multiple points that are helping or are needed to achieve this:

• Importing experienced professionals to share their expertise.

• Motivated players striving to reach their limits.

• Strong organizational support to provide resources and stability.

• Fostering young talent, particularly those under 18, to build an emerging player base.

• Collaboration among teams.

• Cultivating a supportive community.

When asked where Indian players could improve the most, yb believes that communication is a key area that needs attention. He noted that communicating in English has been a challenge for many players and will remain an obstacle if they aim to compete in international teams.

Apart from the already mentioned points, one significant area for improvement is communication, particularly in English. Thinking and speaking in English is still not as fluent as it is in Hindi, which affects gameplay. However, this is just a matter of time and practice.