India has qualified for the Rocket League main event at the Esports Nations Cup 2026 after finishing among the top three teams in the Asia Pacific Regional Qualifier.

According to a NODWIN Gaming press release today,the tournament will be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from November 2 to 29, while the Rocket League competition is scheduled between November 2 and 8. A total of 48 national teams will compete for a prize pool of USD 1.32 million (around Rs.12.5 crore).

India’s team included Abhai Ponna (Abscrazy), Karthik Raghunandan (Karvin), Aditeya Srivastav (Riyal) and substitute Jayanth Engineer (Jay).

The team was coached by Nirjhar Mitra (Jocse), who was appointed by NODWIN Gaming, India’s National Team Partner for ENC 2026.

India started its campaign with a 3-0 win over Sri Lanka in the quarterfinals but lost 1-4 to the Maldives in the upper bracket semifinals.

The team then bounced back with a 3-1 victory over Hong Kong in the lower bracket semifinal before defeating Bangladesh 4-1 in the lower bracket final to secure qualification for the main event.

Speaking about the achievement, coach Nirjhar Mitra (Jocse) said the players stayed focused, kept improving throughout the tournament, and delivered when it mattered most.

He added that representing India at the inaugural Esports Nations Cup is an honour and the team will continue preparing to compete against the world’s best.

The Rocket League event will begin with a group stage, where the 48 qualified teams will be divided into eight groups of six teams.

The top two teams from each group will advance to the 16-team knockout stage, with the Grand Final being played in a best-of-seven format.

With this qualification, India has now confirmed its participation in six esports titles at ENC 2026 Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), Chess, Honor of Kings, Rocket League, Trackmania and VALORANT.

India is also still in contention to qualify in MOBA Legends: 5v5. If the team does not receive a direct invitation, it will compete in the regional qualifiers scheduled for August 15-16.