In the early hours of October 22 (Vietnam time), T1 achieved an impressive victory over Royal Never Give Up (RNG) in the quarter-finals of the World Championship (CKTG) 2022. Notably, in the second game, T1 utilized Jayce for Zeus and in the third game, Tahm Kench for Keria. While Tahm Kench remains a versatile champion, Jayce has not been highly regarded in the Top Lane in some recent versions of League of Legends (LMHT).
T1 has not only made unusual champion picks in this year’s World Championship. Previously, in the Group Stage, T1 also used Soraka and Gangplank – champions that are rarely seen in this tournament. Among them, Soraka is even rarely used in domestic leagues.
The creative and effective champion bans and picks by T1 cannot be discussed without mentioning the contribution of Coach Bengi. The former legend of SKT T1 was recently appointed as the head coach of T1 for the CKTG 2022, replacing the previous head coach Polt. Immediately, he made significant contributions, starting with the formation of the T1 roster.
However, the recent behind-the-scenes images further show that Bengi is indeed a wise appointment for T1 for CKTG 2022. In the match against RNG, although the T1 players performed exceptionally well, one could say nearly perfectly in every aspect, Coach Bengi still had some dissatisfaction. The captured behind-the-scenes images revealed that Coach Bengi was visibly frustrated with his young players and even with his former teammate Faker.
Notably, the T1 players were completely silent as they listened to their coach instructing them. The worry was evident on Zeus’s face, and even Faker dared not voice any opinions. Although it is unclear which game these images were taken after, it can be seen that Coach Bengi is indeed very strict and does not hesitate to point out his players’ mistakes during the match.
According to many opinions, T1 has not had a coach of the caliber of Coach kkOma from years past for a long time; that is, someone who possesses the skills, expertise, and the ability to interact with the players. Coaches like Kim or Daeny may be strict but have not excelled at stabilizing the players’ mental state. There was even a time when T1 players had to arrange their own champion bans and picks without a specific strategy.
It is still too early to determine whether Coach Bengi will truly succeed with T1 at CKTG 2022, but at least at this moment, he is heading in the right direction. With Coach Bengi in the training position, fans can certainly look forward to unusual yet effective strategies in T1’s remaining journey at CKTG 2022.