India qualifies for Rocket League at Esports Nations Cup 2026

India has qualified for Rocket League at the inaugural Esports Nations Cup (ENC) 2026, securing one of three Asia Pacific Regional Qualifier spots for the main event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The qualified roster is Abhai Ponna (Abscrazy), Karthik Raghunandan (Karvin), Aditeya Srivastav (Riyal), with Jayanth Engineer (Jay) listed as substitute. The team is coached by Nirjhar Mitra (Jocse), appointed by NODWIN Gaming, India’s National Team Partner (NTP) for ENC 2026.

India opened the APAC double-elimination qualifier with a 3-0 win over Sri Lanka in the upper bracket quarterfinals, then dropped to the lower bracket after a 1-4 loss to Maldives in the upper bracket semifinals. The team then beat Hong Kong 3-1 in the lower bracket semifinal and Bangladesh 4-1 in the lower bracket final to clinch qualification.

Rocket League at ENC 2026 is scheduled for November 2 to 8 and will feature 48 national teams in 3v3 competition for a prize pool of USD 1.32 million (~INR 12.5 crore). The organiser said 24 nations and territories were invited via ENC Rankings based on roster player performances across official Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS) competitions, with 21 additional teams qualifying through regional online qualifiers; the United Arab Emirates receives a Host Region Wildcard, and two Solidarity Wildcard slots are due to be announced at the end of August.

Commenting on the result, coach Nirjhar Mitra aka Jocse said, “This qualification reflects the commitment the players have shown over the past few months. They remained focused on continuous improvement, embraced every challenge, and delivered when it mattered. Representing India at the inaugural Esports Nations Cup is a privilege, and we will use the time ahead to sharpen every aspect of our game and compete with confidence against the world’s best.”

The press release also said India is now set to be represented in six titles at ENC 2026: Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), Chess, Honor of Kings, Rocket League, Trackmania, and VALORANT. India’s MOBA Legends: 5v5! squad remains in contention for a direct invite and, if required, will play in regional qualifiers scheduled for August 15 to 16.