Team Secret annihilated Team Liquid in the DPC WEU 2021/2022 Division I: Tour 2 series opener with a clean 2:0 victory.
We witnessed a dominant Team Secret with Sumail playing the carry role and Nisha playing the mid role, a welcome change considering their sublime victory over the Tour 1 champions.
The strength on-paper culminated into an actual strong unit, living up to the hype, after one full season of disappointment.
The secret sauce to their victory, to a certain extent, was the drafting phase and this time around Sumail was in the driver’s seat, steering Team Secret’s wheel of fortune.
It wasn’t Puppey, the long standing captain and charismatic leader of Team Secret at the helm, but the King himself.
But what might possibly make Sumail the perfect fit in this welcome change to Team Secret’s drafting approach?
Let’s find out.
Fresh Approach
Taking on the drafting mantle for Team Secret started as a meme. That’s right, a meme, but it started paying off dividends. They found success, and were introduced to a fresh perspective – one that Team Secret desperately needed.
Judging by Sumail’s draft and switching roles with Nisha, the change weaved perfectly with the current meta, which saw Team Secret approach the game quite aggressively and with a vision.
Last season, they were a ship without a captain to steer them out of muddied waters, and directionless in their drafts all the while struggling with their drafts or overall cohesion.
Experience
Sumail has the experience of playing under two of the most decorated and The International winning captains besides Puppey; PPD and Notail.
From his only TI victory under the mastermind, PPD, with Evil Geniuses at a young age, to playing under multiple TI winning captain, Notail, with OG – Sumail has garnered the knowledge of the game to a great extent.
Add to the mix, Puppey, his current captain at Team Secret. Sumail has amassed knowledge only a few can ever dream of besides his own understanding of the game.
That’s experience and knowledge with a fresh perspective into the play.
Direction
With The International 11 getting closer, Team Secret is changing gears and getting down to some serious business.
The swap in roles and the change in drafting, are all factoring into Team Secret’s sudden change in their approach towards the game.
The wheel has finally started to roll in unison and in one direction (no pun intended). It’s exciting to see them come together and play in cohesion – as a unit.
Conclusion
Change is the only constant. So far, in the opening series, Team Secret registered a dominant win. However, Tour 2 is six weeks long, and the span between series is big.
It’s good for now. But let’s not jump the gun just yet.
