As the second week of the regular season unfolds, the Valorant Champions League (VCL) 2023: South Asia is in full swing. Orangutan (OG) currently leads its group after an impressive 2-0 win against Lethal Esports last week, even without active player Rishi “RvK” Vijayakumar. Regrettably, the team will have to continue without the 22-year-old for an additional two weeks, according to the player’s most recent health update.
RvK announced on 18th March, just hours before Orangutan’s opening match, that he was suffering from a severe ear infection, impairing his left ear’s hearing. On 23rd March, RvK shared another update, stating that he would be unable to compete for another seven to ten days, as the infection had not yet healed.
“Update – I will be out of action for another week or 10 days as it has not healed yet and my ear is still full of fluid. This means that I will not be available to play the matches on 26th and 29th which sucks but hopefully I’ll be able to comeback to play the match on 9th April.”
26th Mar: Orangutan vs. Aster Army (without RvK)
29th Mar: Orangutan vs. Medal Esports (without RvK)
9th Apr: Orangutan vs. Reckoning Esports (possibly with RvK)
RvK also revealed that he is bored, as he remains deaf in his left ear and is unable to play Valorant.
The ongoing league is the premier Valorant tournament for the South Asia region, and many players have eagerly awaited the chance to compete. However, only a select few teams received direct invitations, avoiding a packed open qualifier. Orangutan is one of these seven invited teams.
Missing such an opportunity must be disheartening for RvK, but pushing through the infection could make it worse. Additionally, his impaired hearing would undoubtedly hinder his gameplay.
Despite RvK’s absence, Orangutan has demonstrated their strength with a substitute player. Rajiv “LeVi” Satpute was the only Indian in the top five players from the first week of VCL 2023 South Asia. Orangutan’s upcoming opponents should not underestimate them, even without RvK.
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