India has secured its participation in the Rocket League main event at the inaugural Esports Nations Cup (ENC) 2026, following a successful campaign in the Asia Pacific Regional Qualifier. The Indian team will compete in Riyadh from November 2-8, 2026, as one of 48 national squads vying for a prize pool of USD 1.32 million (approximately INR 12.5 crore).
Esports Nations Cup : Tournament Structure and Qualification Path
The Esports Nations Cup 2026, organized by the Esports Foundation, is set to feature 48 national teams in the Rocket League discipline. Twenty-four nations received direct invitations based on ENC Rankings, which track player performance in official Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS) competitions. An additional 21 teams, including India, qualified through regional online qualifiers spanning North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and APAC. The United Arab Emirates received a Host Region Wildcard, with two Solidarity Wildcard slots yet to be announced for underrepresented regions.
The Asia-Pacific regional qualifier involved nine nations competing in a double-elimination bracket. Matches leading up to the qualification rounds were best-of-five series, while the decisive qualification matches were best-of-seven. India secured one of the three available qualification spots from the region.
India’s Road to Qualification
The Indian squad, comprising Abhai Ponna (Abscrazy), Karthik Raghunandan (Karvin), Aditeya Srivastav (Riyal), and substitute Jayanth Engineer (Jay), navigated a challenging qualifier bracket. Coached by Nirjhar Mitra (Jocse), appointed by NODWIN Gaming—India’s National Team Partner for ENC 2026—the team commenced its run with a 3-0 victory over Sri Lanka in the Upper Bracket (UB) quarterfinals.
Despite a 1-4 loss to Maldives in the UB semifinals, the team recovered in the Lower Bracket (LB). They defeated Hong Kong 3-1 in the LB semifinal, followed by a 4-1 win against Bangladesh in the LB Final, which secured their qualification for ENC 2026.
Nirjhar Mitra commented that the qualification reflected the players’ commitment and focus on continuous improvement. He noted the team’s objective to sharpen their game in preparation for competition against international opponents.
Esports Nations Cup 2026 Rocket League Event Details
The Rocket League tournament at ENC 2026 will commence with a round-robin group stage, dividing all 48 qualified teams into eight groups of six. The top two teams from each group will advance to a 16-team single-elimination playoff bracket. Group stage matches will be best-of-five, with the Grand Final contested as a best-of-seven. Further information on the competition and qualified teams is available on the official Esports Nations Cup website (https://esportsnationscup.com/en/competitions/2026/rocket-league).
Broader Indian Esports Presence
With this Rocket League qualification, India now holds representation in six titles at ENC 2026. The nation previously secured spots in Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) and Honor of Kings via special invites. In Chess, Grandmaster Nihal Sarin qualified directly through ENC Rankings, while Mitrabha Guha advanced via regional qualifiers. India’s VALORANT team and Trackmania player Kunal Upreti (Spark) also earned their places through respective regional qualifiers.
India’s MOBA Legends: 5v5! squad is currently in contention for a direct invite, with regional qualifiers scheduled for August 15-16 should they be required. These developments underscore India’s growing presence in global esports, as covered in various latest esports developments (https://technosports.co.in/) articles.
