Kanavi: Xun said he wants to prove that he is the strongest jungler. It's been a long time since he last played against me, and that's why he's saying this

After the 2023 League of Legends World Championship quarter-finals, in which JDG advanced to the semi-finals with a 3-1 victory over KT, Kanavi, JDG's jungler, gave an interview to Korean media.

Facing T1 in the upcoming semi-finals, Kanavi expressed nervousness about his upcoming match against Oner. In contrast to BLG's jungler Xun, who aimed to prove himself as the strongest jungler in this World Championship, Kanavi had a different attitude, stating, "That's because he hasn't faced me yet." Although he had confidence in LPL teams, he acknowledged that due to differences in LCK's playstyle, it was always challenging to determine the outcome when facing LCK teams.

Following the conclusion of the World Championship quarter-final match against KT in Busan on the 4th, Kanavi shared insights during a personal interview with Fomos. He expressed happiness about reaching the semi-finals after two weeks of preparation before the tournament. Kanavi mentioned their preparations against KT, emphasizing that they aimed to prevent KT's fast-paced movements in the top half of the map facilitated by Lehends' support playstyle. When asked if his style was similar to his support, Missing, Kanavi explained that their styles were similar by nature, but KT had been trying to focus their strength on the bottom lane with champions like Lulu and Leona, and Kanavi believed KT had executed their strategies effectively.

JDG faced a crisis when they lost the first game against KT on that day. Kanavi explained that their opponents had prepared well, and their composition was strong, making the game more challenging than expected. After the first game, compared to Rek'Sai, he decided to try out jungle champions that could provide more damage output, which led to a shift in their approach starting from the second game. Regarding his own performance, Kanavi stated that although he had confidence in picking Lee Sin in the fourth game, he wasn't satisfied with how it turned out. The reason behind choosing Lee Sin in that game was mentioned by JDG's coach in an interview; they wanted to boost the players' confidence.

Kanavi expressed some regrets about not being able to create an advantage in the early game and wasting opportunities in the mid-game due to team communication issues. He also mentioned their preparations against the champion Ivern, known as "the Prince." They had expected Ivern to be picked by their opponents, but KT decided to ban it entirely, which was disappointing for Kanavi. He considered Ivern a strong pick in the current meta due to his speed and the threat he poses to short-ranged champions on the opposing team.

Regarding comments about not organizing the champion draft priorities well, Kanavi pointed out that each team has different perspectives on champion priorities based on their strengths. The jungler also praised BLG's drafting in the quarter-finals, noting their accurate analysis of their opponents' playstyle.

Kanavi reflected on the challenge of facing LCK teams, explaining that while they had plenty of experience against LPL teams, they had relatively less information on LCK teams. He mentioned that they wanted to play a teamfight-oriented style, but LCK teams often didn't engage in fights, which created difficulties for them.

Speaking about their next opponent, T1, Kanavi commented on their strong early-game playstyle. He specifically highlighted Oner's ability to judge situations and use his abilities effectively, indicating that he felt nervous about facing Oner. Despite some personal regrets about his performance in the World Championship so far, Kanavi mentioned that they hadn't lost yet, which was a positive aspect of their journey. He acknowledged the need to improve communication with his teammates while using his abilities.

When asked about Ruler's performance in the fourth game, Kanavi admitted he didn't watch it in real-time, but the excitement among fans and Ruler's crucial plays intrigued him. He planned to review the match later to understand how they managed to secure the victory.

In the semi-finals, Kanavi expressed his desire to face Oner and, if they reached the finals, BLG's Xun. He explained that Xun had stated he wanted to prove himself as the world's strongest jungler, and Kanavi believed that Xun's confidence stemmed from not having faced him for a long time. Kanavi conveyed his determination to prove himself. Regarding achieving the Grand Slam for the year, he said they needed to win two more matches, but he didn't take victory for granted and promised to prepare diligently to achieve a good outcome.

In conclusion, Kanavi thanked all the fans who attended the matches or watched from home and pledged to deliver a better performance in the semi-finals.