Kuro “KuroKy” Salehi Takhasomi is known for being both a legend in Dota 2 and a loyal teammate. In a recent conversation at PGL Wallachia Season 5 with Clement “Puppey” Ivanov and Johan “N0tail” Sundstein, he opened up about a critical moment in the game’s history: how Amer “Miracle-” Al-Barkawi left OG and joined Team Liquid after a disappointing performance at The International 2016.
The move saw Miracle- join Team Liquid from OG while Jesse “JerAx” Vainikka went the other way. This transition period saw OG having to rebuild their entire roster with only N0tail and Tal “Fly” Aizik remaining behind. But despite Miracle- joining Liquid and winning The International with them, there were no harsh feelings between the two teams.
Speaking alongside N0tail and Clement “Puppey” Ivanov, KuroKy reflected on the roster shuffle that happened after TI6, when OG was unexpectedly knocked out in the second round of the lower bracket. At the time, Miracle- was widely regarded as one of the best mechanical players in the world, but KuroKy admitted he didn’t immediately reach out to recruit him.
“I didn’t ask Miracle- to join out of respect for him [N0tail],” KuroKy said. “It’s his teammate, I am not gonna poach,” added. “It was like that. I am not gonna poach Miracle-, he’s like the best player. But then I got his Steam message, so that was done.”
Team Liquid recruited Miracle- and Maroun “GH” Merhej to replace JerAx and Adrian “FATA-” Trinks and form the iconic lineup that went on to win The International that year. On the other hand, OG added the likes of Anathan “ana” Pham, JerAx, and Gustav “s4” Magnusson to their roster for the season, going on to win the Boston Major and the Kiev Major with that lineup.
In a highly competitive environment like the Dota 2 esports ecosystem, KuroKy’s handling of this situation is truly admirable. Not only did he ensure there was no element of poaching involved, but he also made sure to make the most of his opportunities when the best player in the world came knocking.
Needless to say, Miracle- has stuck by KuroKy’s side ever since then, even following him to create Nigma Galaxy. While KuroKy has given up his duties as the playing captain and taken up the role of a coach, Miracle- is battling with his health to make a comeback in professional Dota 2 soon.
