New TL leader Zai embraces ‘carrying the torch’ left by MATUMBAMAN and his huge personality

Zai, famously known for being one of the more soft-spoken Dota 2 pros, has taken on a new challenge this year: he’s become Team Liquid’s second-in-command, a position that opened up when MATUMBAMAN retired last year, and he’s thriving.

Dota 2 veteran MATUMBAMAN was always known for consistently playing well and being reliable, but Zai believes his real strength was being a great leader behind the scenes. With him gone, the Dota 2 roster felt his absence. The team needed a new leader to help Insania, and Zai, with the most experience, stepped up to help.

“The role Matu kind of figured out for himself towards the end of his tenure is something I have kind of carried that torch a little bit this year I think. Kind of stepping into a leadership kind of role,” he said during an interview at The International 2023 yesterday.

The role isn’t just about playing well. It also means having a say in team drafts, making sure everyone understands and executes the plan before, during, and after games, and keeping the whole team focused. It’s something MATUMBAMAN was very good at, and that role loomed as a gap in the team after he retired.

Today, Zai is trying to follow in his footsteps.

Zai added playing with strong personalities like Arteezy, Kuroky, Puppey, and Sumail made him change and fit in with past teams. This experience made him ready to take on any role needed. He also claims to have learned a lot about being a captain from Puppey, and while he doesn’t think he’s a natural-born leader like Puppey or MATUMBAMAN, they inspire him.

Zai is working hard in his new leadership role for Liquid, and it’s showing good results at The International 2023 in the early days. With him in charge, Liquid led Group B with seven wins and only one loss.

This great performance got them into the Upper Bracket Quarterfinals. They’ll play against Talon Esports on Oct. 20. If they win, they’ll move up to the Upper Bracket Semifinals to play against either Team Spirit or Virtus.Pro and will actually sit in a very strong position to potentially go all the way in Dota 2’s biggest event of the year.