/images/ppid_a911dc6a-image-178006664984754453.webp)
NODWIN Gaming, India’s National Team Partner (NTP) for the Esports Nations Cup (ENC) 2026, has officially announced the country’s Rocket League roster while also confirming Grandmaster Nihal Sarin’s direct qualification for Chess at the global nation-based esports competition set to debut in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from November 2 to 29, 2026.
Nihal Sarin secures a direct invite for the Esports Nations Cup 2026 Chess event
In Chess, Nihal becomes the only Indian player to secure direct qualification for the ENC 2026 main event through the official Champions Chess Tour (CCT) Leaderboard. Meanwhile, India’s Rocket League contingent featuring Abhai Ponna (Abscrazy), Karthik Raghunandan (Karvin), Aditeya Srivastav (Riyal), and substitute player Jayanth Engineer (Orjanguse) will compete in the regional qualifiers for a chance to secure qualification to the main event.
Chess at ENC 2026 will bring together some of the world’s top players in a country/territory-based format. The competition will take place from November 2 to 8 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, featuring 128 players competing for a prize pool of USD 600,000 (~INR 5.7 crore). The first stage will consist of all 128 players competing in a round-robin group stage, featuring 16 groups of eight players. The second stage will consist of 64 players competing in a single-elimination playoff bracket.
The tournament has allocated 64 direct invitations through the official CCT rankings, with a maximum of one directly invited player permitted per country or territory. As the highest-ranked Indian player on the leaderboard, Nihal secured a direct invitation alongside renowned players including Norway’s Magnus Carlsen, Belarus’ Denis Lazavik, Poland’s Jan-Krzysztof Duda, France’s Alireza Firouzja, the United States’ Hikaru Nakamura and others.
Apart from the directly invited players, 61 more competitors will qualify through regional qualifiers operated by Chess.com, including India’s qualifiers scheduled for June 6-7 and June 13-14. The final three players will qualify through wildcard slots.
Every country and territory can be represented by up to two players at the Finals. Where a player receives a direct invitation through the official rankings, an additional representative from the same market can still qualify through regional competition. Given the popularity of Chess across the world, the Chess tournament will likely become the title with the largest representation of countries and territories at ENC.
Representing S8UL, Nihal previously competed at the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2025 as one of only two Indian players at the event and has now also secured qualification for the upcoming EWC edition through the CCT Leaderboard pathway.
India’s Rocket League team revealed
India’s Rocket League roster brings together a mix of experienced veterans and emerging talent from the title’s growing competitive ecosystem in the country. The squad will be coached by Nirjhar Mitra aka jocse, who was earlier appointed by NODWIN Gaming as India’s national coach for Rocket League and is responsible for identifying players, defining team strategy, and building competitive lineups.
As one of India’s most decorated Rocket League players, Abscrazy enters the tournament having represented the country at the FIFAe Nations League 2026 while also winning titles including the Esportz Premier Series 2022, ASUS ROG Showdown Series, and APL Indian National. He has also competed internationally at the Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS) 2021-22 Spring Split Major.
Rocket League at the ENC 2026 will feature 48 national teams competing in fast-paced 3v3 matches built around precision, mechanics, and teamwork. The competition will feature a prize pool of USD 1.32 million (~INR 12.5 crore) and will take place from November 2-8 in Riyadh. The first stage will feature 48 teams competing in a round-robin group stage across eight groups of six teams each, followed by a 16-team single-elimination playoff bracket.
