Kairi, Yeb steer Onic to MSC 2023 title, denies Blacklist

PHNOM PENH — Filipino jungler Kairi "Kairi" Rayosdelsol and coach Denver "Yeb" Miranda steered Indonesia's Onic Esports to a 4-2 victory against Blacklist International to claim the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Southeast Asia Cup (MSC) 2023 title on Sunday in Cambodia.

The win by the Hedgehogs meant that an MSC title remained elusive for the Codebreakers, who already have MPL Philippines, SEA Games, and world titles under their belt.

It was a different breed of Onic in Game 1 with Kairi's signature Ling doing the damage with a flawless 2/0/10 KDA as they limited Blacklist to just one objective (one turret) before they took down three Codebreakers late in Game 2 to take a commanding 2-0 series lead.

Game 2 also saw Onic prioritizing Johnmar "OhMyV33Nus" Villaluna's heroes in the banning phase with Diggie and Estes while Blacklist banned Ling.

Mid laner Kenneth "Yue" Tadeo (Yve) then stepped up for Blacklist in Game 3, unleashing a triple kill during a lord fight before the 20th minute mark to finish with a stellar 6/2/10 KDA line as they took the victory and avoided a potential sweep.

But Kairi took over in Game 4 with his familiar masterful use of Fanny, which helped him finish with four kills and two assists to earn the MVP honors and steer Onic to the championship point.

This is Kairi and Yeb's first international title after several appearances in major tournaments.

—MGP, GMA Integrated News