Renowned insider and scout Alexey "OverDrive" Biryukov gave an extensive interview to Erik Shokov, where he discussed his journey in esports and his current activities. Notably, he shared details about discovering Danil "donk" Kryshkovets, who is now considered one of the top rising stars in Counter-Strike.
According to OverDrive, donk was spotted at the age of 14 in one of the competitive online leagues for the CIS region. The scout soon recommended that Team Spirit sign the talented teenager.
"Back then, there were many leagues in the CIS, and it was the simplest structure for scouting players. The season started in one of the CIS leagues, and I noticed a player named donk going 5-0 on the first day. I asked around, and someone told me he was a 14-year-old prodigy. After that, I immediately reached out to him and invited him. <...> We played some qualifiers with him, and it quickly became clear that for a 14-year-old, he was exceptional. I passed his contacts to Team Spirit, and the management organized everything. Of course, you can't sign a player under 18 without involving their parents."
Biryukov admitted that as a scout, he did not receive any bonuses for bringing in a player who, a year and a half later, moved from the academy to the main roster of the "dragons" and made a significant impact at the top level.
"I receive a fixed salary. Sure, I get some bonuses. When the team I brought players to consistently grows and reaches tier-1 level without question, I get some bonuses – transfer fees and such. But nothing astronomical, and overall, the process itself is interesting."
In OverDrive's opinion, donk is currently the most valuable player on the CS2 pro scene, though estimating his buyout price is difficult – it could reach up to $5 million.
"donk isn't going anywhere. I think his value is well over a million. It could be five million – a lot, really a lot. I think donk is the most expensive player in CS right now. But he doesn't need to move anywhere; he needs the structure that Team Spirit provides. No super-rich organization can build such a structure right here and now."
It’s worth noting that in less than a year at the top level, donk has already been named the best player at major tournaments three times, including the prestigious IEM Katowice 2024. In 2024, the 17-year-old Russian has the highest rating in LAN events.