Grandmaster Nihal Sarin secures India's only direct place in the Esports Nations Cup 2026 Chess event. The invitation comes through the official Champions Chess Tour (CCT) Leaderboard. NODWIN Gaming confirms the selection as India's National Team Partner for ENC 2026. The nation-based esports competition debuts in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from November 2 to 29, 2026.
NODWIN Gaming also names India's Rocket League roster for the same event. Abhai Ponna (Abscrazy), Karthik Raghunandan (Karvin), Aditeya Srivastav (Riyal), and substitute Jayanth Engineer (Orjanguse) form the squad. The team plays online regional qualifiers from July 17 to 19. The target is a place at the ENC Finals in Riyadh.
Chess at ENC 2026 runs from November 2 to 8 in Riyadh. The
field includes 128 players and a USD 600,000 prize pool, about INR 5.7 crore. Stage one uses a round-robin group phase. It has 16 groups of eight players. Stage two moves 64 players into a single-elimination bracket.
ENC allocates 64 direct Chess invitations through CCT rankings. Only one directly invited player is allowed per country or territory. Nihal qualifies as India's highest-ranked player on that leaderboard. The direct list also includes Magnus Carlsen, Denis Lazavik, Jan-Krzysztof Duda, Alireza Firouzja, and Hikaru Nakamura.
Nihal builds the direct invite through the CCT 2025-2026 season. That season includes Speed Chess Championship (SCC) 2025 and Chess.com Open (CCO) 2026. It also includes the Titled Tuesday Grand Prix (TTGP) circuit. Nihal misses direct qualification via CCO 2026 by one place. Nihal then collects 100 key points.
Nihal adds more points through TTGP Autumn, Winter, and Spring splits. Those steady results lift the final total to 139 leaderboard points. The finish places Nihal among the top six in the official ENC Chess rankings. NODWIN Gaming says Nihal is the only Indian with direct entry. Other Indians can still qualify through the regional route.
Beyond direct invites, 61 Chess players qualify via Chess.com regional events. India's qualifiers are scheduled for June 6-7 and June 13-14. The final three ENC Chess places are reserved for wildcard selections. Each country or territory can send up to two players to the Finals. A direct invite still allows a second qualifier from the same market.
Representing S8UL, Nihal previously plays at the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2025. Nihal is one of only two Indian players at that event. NODWIN Gaming also notes Nihal qualifies for the upcoming EWC edition. That qualification also comes through the CCT Leaderboard pathway. ENC 2026 offers a separate national format.
Speaking about his direct invite, Grandmaster Nihal Sarin said, "Playing at the Esports World Cup last year gave me first-hand experience of how rapidly Chess is growing within the global esports ecosystem. The scale of the tournament and the level of players involved made it a memorable experience.
"The Esports Nations Cup 2026 brings a different kind of excitement because of the opportunity to represent India in a country-based format. Competing under the national flag against some of the world's strongest players makes this a very special event, and I'm really looking forward to being part of it. "
India's Rocket League squad combines experienced names with newer players. NODWIN Gaming appoints Nirjhar Mitra, known as jocse, as national coach. The role covers player identification and match planning. It also includes building line-ups for international competition. The named roster enters qualifiers with prior shared team experience. That link comes from earlier time under Big Dawgs.
Abscrazy arrives after representing India at the FIFAe Nations League 2026. Abscrazy also wins Esportz Premier Series 2022, ASUS ROG Showdown Series, and APL Indian National. Internationally, Abscrazy competes at the RLCS 2021-22 Spring Split Major. Karvin posts strong APAC RLCS finishes this season. Riyal is seen as a leading young prospect.
Orjanguse is listed as the substitute player for qualifiers. Orjanguse remains close to major results in the RLCS ecosystem. NODWIN Gaming points to a recent top-four finish at FIFAe Nations League Week 1. That result comes alongside Abscrazy and Karvin while representing India. The staff expects existing teamwork to help during the July qualifier window.
"The Esports Nations Cup 2026 is a huge opportunity for Rocket League players in India because events like these give us the chance to represent the country on one of the biggest international stages in esports. This roster combines experienced players with younger talent that has been steadily growing through the competitive circuit, and many of us already have strong chemistry from competing together in the past. Our immediate focus is on the regional qualifiers and making sure we secure India's place at the main event in Riyadh," said Abhai Ponna aka Abscrazy.
Esports Nations Cup 2026 Rocket League format, prize money and qualifiers
Rocket League at ENC 2026 features 48 national teams in 3v3 matches. The event runs from November 2 to 8 in Riyadh. The prize pool is USD 1.32 million, about INR 12.5 crore. Teams play a round-robin group stage first. There are eight groups of six teams. A 16-team single-elimination playoff follows.
ENC rankings, based on official RLCS events, already award 24 direct invites. Teams outside the top 24 must enter online regional qualifiers from July 17 to 19. India competes in the Asia qualifier pool. Three countries from that region earn places at the main event. The Chess and Rocket League events share the same early November window in Riyadh.
| Event | Dates | Field | Prize pool |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENC 2026 (overall) | November 2-29, 2026 | Multiple titles | Not stated |
| ENC 2026 Chess | November 2-8, 2026 | 128 players | USD 600,000 (~INR 5.7 crore) |
| ENC 2026 Rocket League | November 2-8, 2026 | 48 teams | USD 1.32 million (~INR 12.5 crore) |
| India Chess regional qualifiers | June 6-7 and June 13-14 | Regional pathway | Not stated |
| Rocket League regional qualifiers | July 17-19 | Teams outside top 24 | Not stated |
NODWIN Gaming's update sets India's early focus on two routes into ENC 2026. Nihal Sarin already holds a direct Chess invite through the CCT Leaderboard. India's Rocket League roster now prepares for July 17-19 qualifiers. Both titles are scheduled in Riyadh from November 2 to 8. The wider ENC 2026 programme continues until November 29.
