India has confirmed its six-member League of Legends team set to compete at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games in Japan. The roster, comprising players from prominent esports organization [S8UL Esports](https://s8ul.gg/), includes a mix of athletes who previously competed at the Asian Games and new additions.
The Asian Games 2026 esports segment for League of Legends is scheduled to run from September 29 to October 2. India has been drawn into Group B, a challenging pool that includes the 2022 Asian Games champions South Korea, runners-up Chinese Taipei, and Hong Kong. Group stage matches will take place on September 29 and 30, with semi-finals on October 1 and the final on October 2.
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League of Legends operates as a 5v5 team-based strategy game where players select unique characters, known as champions, to collaboratively destroy the opposing team’s central structure, the Nexus. Each team consists of five roles—Top, Jungle, Mid, ADC (Attack Damage Carry), and Support—each contributing distinct functions to the team’s strategy and execution.
India’s League of Legends Roster
The Indian contingent features:
* **Akshaj Shenoy** (Captain, Mid Laner, in-game name Kat Bot)
* **Aakash Shandilya** (Jungler, in-game name Infi)
* **Mihir Ranjan** (ADC, in-game name Lotus)
* **Sanindhya Malik** (Top Laner, in-game name Deadcorporal)
* **Ahmed Shahid** (Support, in-game name Nero)
* **Rahul Bisht** (Support, in-game name Bob)
Four members of the current squad—Akshaj Shenoy, Aakash Shandilya, Mihir Ranjan, and Sanindhya Malik—were part of the Indian team that secured a fifth-place finish at the previous Asian Games in Hangzhou. Akshaj Shenoy, a 24-year-old Mid Laner from Kochi, also captained the team in the preceding games. His academic pursuits include preparing for an MBA while managing his family’s business, following a triple-degree course and balancing competitive esports. Mihir Ranjan, the team’s ADC, is an IIM Ahmedabad graduate. Aakash Shandilya, the Jungler, is currently a cloud engineering intern with competitive experience in both League of Legends and VALORANT. Sanindhya Malik, the Top Laner, is based in Mauritius and works with Telecommunications Consultants India Ltd.
Making their Asian Games debut are Ahmed Shahid, a Chemical Engineering graduate from Aligarh, and Rahul Bisht, a 29-year-old product designer and entrepreneur from Bengaluru, both assuming the Support role.
Qualification Pathway and Team Development
The core of the team, Akshaj, Aakash, and Mihir, continued competing together post-Hangzhou, with Ahmed joining later. The roster formally joined S8UL Esports in June 2025, subsequently winning Legends Ascend South Asia 2025 and achieving a fifth-place finish in the LCP 2026 Promotion Wild Card Playoffs.
For the Asian Games 2026 qualification cycle, Rahul and Sanindhya were integrated into the lineup for the National Esports Championships (NESC) 2026, which served as India’s national qualification event. Following their victory at NESC 2026, the team advanced through regional qualifiers, defeating Jordan, Sri Lanka, and Kazakhstan. They then secured their berth for Aichi-Nagoya 2026 in the Split Stage, where they faced Vietnam, Hong Kong, and Saudi Arabia.
Akshaj Shenoy, captain of India’s League of Legends team, stated, “Representing India at the Asian Games again is a moment of pride for all of us. Hangzhou was an important first step for Indian esports as an official medal event, and since then, this group has had the chance to play together extensively and understand each other’s strengths and styles much better. We have also seen how much the level of competition in Asia has developed, so being drawn alongside South Korea and Chinese Taipei gives us a clear idea of the challenge ahead. As captain, I want us to stay focused on what we have built as a team, adapt to each opponent and make the most of every game we get to play for India.”
Animesh Agarwal, Co-founder and CEO of S8UL Esports, commented on the team, “This is a lineup that has consistently proven itself as one of the strongest League of Legends rosters in India. They have spent years playing together, adapting to different competitive environments and developing a strong understanding of each other’s game. We at S8UL have full faith in their ability to take on some of the strongest teams in Asia, and we are looking forward to seeing them put their best foot forward while representing India.”
This announcement aligns with S8UL’s broader efforts to provide Indian players with opportunities on international esports stages. The organization recently fielded Indian talent across various titles, including Chess, Free Fire MAX, Honor of Kings, and Trackmania, at the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026. These engagements underscore the growing prominence of Indian esports on the global scene, a trend closely monitored in our latest esports developments (https://technosports.co.in/).
