SKT Telecom T1 start summer with narrow win over Jin Air Green Wings
SK Telecom T1 started the summer season with a win, but didn’t look especially good in the process.
After a disappointing result in the 2019 Mid-Season Invitational, SKT returned to Korea for the 2019 LCK Summer Split. The season started with a match against Jin Air Green Wings, led by star jungler Kim “Malrang” Geun-seong.
The early stages of game one favored Jin Air. With a combination of smart rotations, strong objective control, and aggressive play on the rift from Malrang, Jin Air grew a considerable advantage that allowed them to secure two baron buffs.
SKT waited for the right time to counterattack and that opportunity came when Jin Air went for baron number three. After wiping out Jin Air and scoring the baron steal, SKT made the push to end the game there. Jin Air bottom laner Moon “Route” Geom-su held them back for a time but SKT still managed to secure the win minutes later with a backdoor play.
Jin Air learned from their mistakes in game two. SKT enjoyed a strong start, sprinting ahead in gold and punishing Jin Air’s passive play. Though it seemed like Jin Air was poised for an early loss, the team capitalized on their second baron buff to steal the win and even the series.
On match point, Malrang and top laner Heo “Lindarang” Man-heung played aggressively right from the start. That paid off for a time but the aggression quickly became punishable greed, which SKT capitalized on to negate Jin Air’s early edge. SKT’s Kim “Clid” Tae-min, Kim “Khan” Dong-ha, and Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok pressed that advantage further by roaming to the top lane and fighting in the jungle.
A desperate Jin Air attempted to force a baron at 21 minutes, which SKT punished with an ace. That rout was the final nail in the coffin for Jin Air, forcing the team into a defensive shell. At 30 minutes, SKT killed four out of five enemies and marched into the enemy base to seal up the series 2-1.
Though they didn’t come out with a win, this was a strong showing by Jin Air. The team posted a disappointing 10th-place finish last season, which forced them into relegation. They managed to retain their LCK spot by taking second place in the LCK 2019 Summer Promotion tournament and that might have injected a little bit of life into the team.
On the flipside, SKT looked a bit shaky and will next face Afreeca Freecs and Kingzone DragonX. These teams are less forgiving than Jin Air, with Kingzone in particular looking like a serious contender. Jin Air will return in week two and will look to get a win against Damwon Gaming.
Read Also
Esports Betting
League of Legends Classic will be back in 2026, here’s what we know
Wasif Ahmed
Riot has announced that League Classic will come out in Season 3 of 2026, as a game mode. League Classic is “old League of Legends”, the ability to play the game on a specific patch from over a decade ago. How much information do we have? What is League Classic, when will League Classic release, and what patch will it be for? Ever wanted to rediscover the old version of ...
League of Legends
Karmine Corp vs Team Liquid: Best betting odds and picks for MSI 2026
Hannan Mundia
While both Karmine Corp and Team Liquid lost one series each, both teams will have another chance to continue in the 2026 MSI play-in stage to potentially qualify for the bracket stage. Both participating teams got swept by T1 in this MSI stage, bringing them to the third round. Team Liquid’s performance against Deep Cross Gaming was impressive, but does that really mean that it has what it takes to ...
Esports Betting
T1 exposes Karmine Corp with 3-0 win at League of Legends MSI 2026
Wasif Ahmed
T1 just beat Karmine Corp 3-0 in the play-in stage of the 2026 Mid-Season Invitational. More importantly, T1 turned KC’s strengths into weaknesses. The bot lane and teamfight prowess that shone in the LEC were no match this time. The match started with Karmine Corp picking a disrespectful draft, blind picking three immobile squishies. Right off the bat, a botched invade put their jungle and bot lane at a disadvantage. ...
League of Legends
KeSPA Cup returns in July 2026 exclusively on Disney+
Hannan Mundia
The KeSPA Cup is slated to return sooner than most expected, though its date and exclusive Disney+ partnership raises some questions. The KeSPA Cup is an annual tournament organized directly by the Korea e-Sports Association. While it doesn’t get nearly as much attention as Riot-organized leagues and events, LCK powerhouses still participate in it. 2025’s KeSPA Cup is still fairly fresh since it took place in December. This year’s tournament ...
Esports Betting
Best betting odds and picks for T1 vs Karmine Corp at MSI 2026
Hannan Mundia
This year’s MSI is still ongoing, and the next match in the play-in stage is slated to pit T1 against the LEC’s Karmine Corp. Both participating teams absolutely destroyed their respective opponents in this stage’s first round. With two 3-0 scores, both Karmine Corp and T1 have established themselves as powerhouses. However, the level of opposition was clearly different, and that fact may show its face in this match. Tournament: ...
Esports Betting
T1 vs Team Liquid: Best betting odds and picks for MSI 2026
Hannan Mundia
The League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) 2026 will kick off with T1 facing off against Team Liquid, but will the match really be as one-sided as the betting odds make it out to be? While some didn’t think that the reigning world champions, T1 would make it to this year’s MSI, the team proved many wrong once again. It barely made it to the play-in stage, where Team Liquid ...
Esports Betting
Karmine Corp vs Deep Cross Gaming: Best betting odds and picks for MSI 2026
Wasif Ahmed
Karmine Corp goes up against Deep Cross Gaming on the first day of MSI 2026. Obviously, KC is the favorite by a long shot. Does DCG actually stand a chance, though? Can they repeat the achievements of CTBC Flying Oyster who took down KC at First Stand 2025? Tournament: Mid-Season Invitational 2026 Stage: Play-in Game: League of Legends Format: Best-of-five Betting tips: As the second seed from a lower region, ...
