Would you like to know more about Sumail, one of the greatest prodigies in Dota 2?
Syed Sumail “SumaiL” Hassan or better known in the community as King, just his name is enough to terrify enemies. His one-of-a-kind mechanics, coupled with his aggressive playstyle and irrefutable confidence in-game, make him worthy of his title; King. Thus, improving your game by knowing more about Sumail the youngest TI winner, is absolutely essential.
Confidence, sheer unadulterated confidence, and ferocity in-game are what make Sumail famous and what he has mastery over. His playmaking and part in carrying his teams to the major success make him iconic in the entire gaming community. Not only this but holding multiple Guinness records is just one small piece of his immense success and potential.
Personal History
Born on the 13th of February 1999 in Karachi, SumaiL is currently 23 and has just begun his career. At just 8 years of age, his brothers introduced him to the massive world of DOTA 2 and its potential. He spent many years playing and observing his brothers play the game while increasing his skill in Pakistan.
However, his opportunities would skyrocket when his father made his family shift to Rosemont in 2012. This move would not only help SumaiL achieve a more stable platform but also introduce him to many more players. Apart from this, SumaiL followed in the footsteps of his brother YawaR to play in the North American Elite League. Helping him to later on become known as Sumail the Youngest TI Winner.
Career
Joining to play with the North American Elite League would prove to be quite beneficial for SumaiL. He quickly rose through the ranks and became the highest-rated player in the in-house league. Becoming a high-ranked player made him one of the most exciting prospects to consider picking in NA.
His ability to rise to the top in a couple of years led to teams using him as a stand-in. He started his career with minor teams like Perilous and Root Gaming. This, in turn, made him shine even more, which is when Saahil “Universe” Arora discovered him. Being in the eyes of a huge player like him is where Sumail the youngest TI winner’s journey began.
The universe was so impressed with SumaiL’s undisputable talent that he wanted him as a part of EG right away. Finally, in January of 2015, EG recruited SumaiL, and almost instantly, he played in the Dota 2 League 5 Finals. However, an underwhelming performance led critics to wonder if SumaiL deserved a spot in a prestigious team like EG.
Evil Geniuses
However, with no limits on what he could achieve, SumaiL became ready to prove himself at the next tournament. He did just that by shutting up all his naysayers with absolutely incredible performances at Dota 2 Asia Championships. Moreover, SumaiL showed his Euls Shadow Fiend build in his first match, which set the meta for the entire tournament.
With meta-defining performances and builds, EG captain ppd decided to go all-in on the skill and talent of SumaiL. By drafting around SumaiL and his ever-improving showings, Evil Geniuses conquered the group stage with an 11-4 win/loss record. Shortly after, he continued to dominate and demolish the upper bracket.
Vici Gaming, however, broke this streak by defeating EG 2-0 in the upper bracket finals. Feeling down, SumaiL overcame his defeat with innovation and utter confidence in his playstyle. One more impressive showing in the lower bracket was SumaiL’s flawless plays on the obscure Brewmaster.
Feeling invulnerable, he carried his momentum through to the grand finals, where his previous enemies, Vici Gaming, stood ready. Minimal hiccups and another appearance from his Brewmaster led EG to secure easy wins in the first two matches. SumaiL, however, would face his biggest challenge yet in game 3 of the Grand Final.
In the grand final, SumaiL went 0-4-0 in the mid-lane and could feel his grip over the match becoming loose. However, SumaiL proved himself as the best midlaner in the world by persevering and finishing in dominating form, scoring 17-7-11. This was the tournament where SumaiL and EG won 1 million USD and became arguably the best in the world. Becoming famed as Sumail the Youngest TI winner in Dota 2.
Winning TI 5 with Evil Geniuses
Not even nearly at his peak after winning the Asian Championships, SumaiL was ready to become the best. One of the favorites for TI 5, EG was confident in their skill to win against the other favorite, Team Secret. Though EG felt massive pressure as they had finished second in both Summit 3 and ESL ONE 2015 behind Secret.
With an easy time in the group stage, EG and SumaiL effortlessly placed on top of their group. Consequently, they made their way to the upper bracket, where just like the DAC, they blew through their first two matches. Unfortunately, in the upper-bracket finals, the wildcard team CDEC gaming wiped them 2-0.
Although this was a huge blow, SumaiL now shined in the face of adversity and gave his best performance yet. His signature style on Leshrac and Storm Spirit taught the world how to play these heroes and changed the meta. His impressive score on Lina in game two proved overwhelming and helped them wipe LGD 2-0 in the series.
In the grand finals, SumaiL the youngest TI winner had once again gone 0-3-0 in the lane in the first game of the series. This, however, was no challenge to him as he went on to make the fastest Orchid Malovalence in TI history. Enabling his team to win the series then, SumaiL had a reward of more than 1 million dollars, making new records.
His Career after TI 5
SumaiL reached the peak of his career very young and has since then not been able to recreate his success. After winning TI 5, he was a part of EG until September 2019, winning multiple trophies. These championships include Dota Pit League 3, Manila Masters, the MDL 2016 Autumn, and many top 4 finishes.
His move to Quincy Crew in 2019 was no surprise as he joined his brother YawaR on the same team. Though he enjoyed his team there, he won no significant trophies and soon left for OG. He played for a few months on the roster of OG but left in July of 2020. His career was then crippled by multiple transfers.
These transfers included going to Team Liquid, then back to OG in June of 2021. Before long, however, SumaiL joined Team Secret and is currently playing for them for DPC 2022. These performances have not been significant, and Secret is currently suffering as a Tier 1 team. Although, critics and fans are sure that he is still capable of being the best once again.
Trivia and Statistics
Winning The International at such a young age has made SumaiL the holder of two Guinness Records. These records include both winning TI at 16 years old and being the youngest TI Winner to win 1 million dollars. Furthermore, records like these are why SumaiL features in Time Magazine’s top 30 influential teenagers of 2016.
Along with this, he is reportedly a big NBA fan, cheering for the Golden State Warriors. Besides this, he also loves cheese pizza, eating it almost every two days from 2015 to 2017. As mentioned above, he is the younger brother of Yawar “YawaR” Hussain, who is also a prominent DOTA 2 player in the NA region.
As for his statistics, he is the player with the most kills (31) in the international to date. He accomplished this feat with Tiny in the upper bracket of TI 8. Apart from this, he also had the highest average kills and runes grabbed in the group stage of TI 5. Many records like these over the years of his career highlight his extremely aggressive gameplay.
Syed Sumail “SumaiL” Hassan is not only an incredibly impressive player but an icon for many young players. He is also the hero of his home country of Pakistan, where every Dota 2 player looks up to him immensely. Lastly, his fascinating career makes reading this Player Spotlight on Sumail the youngest TI Winner in Dota 2 absolutely crucial for all.
