NODWIN Gaming, India’s National Team Partner (NTP) for the Esports Nations Cup (ENC) 2026, has officially announced the country’s League of Legends roster for the global nation-based esports competition set to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from November 2 to 29, 2026.
India’s League of Legends Roster for Esports Nations Cup 2026
The Indian contingent will be led by Aakash Shandilya (Infi) and feature, Akshaj Shenoy (Kat Bot), Rahul Bisht (Bob) Vinayak Gupta (Panda), and Niranjan Prabakaran (Sam), with Sharavan Kumar (DoubleYou) and Manoj Ravish (Shockya) serving as substitutes. Pankaj Upadhyay (KAKA) will serve as the team’s coach.
The roster brings together some of the most accomplished and experienced players in the Indian League of Legends ecosystem. Leading the lineup is Infi, one of the most decorated players in the region with more than 35 tournament victories and widely regarded as one of Asia’s strongest junglers.
Joining him is Kat Bot, who has consistently been among India’s top-performing League of Legends players and remains a key figure in the country’s competitive scene. Bob, meanwhile, is one of India’s highest-ranked League of Legends players and is widely regarded as the leading support player in the domestic scene, having established himself as a game-changing presence capable of elevating any lineup.
Infi and Kat Bot were both part of India’s League of Legends contingent at the Hangzhou Asian Games 2023, where the team secured a fifth-place finish. The duo, along with Bob, currently represent S8UL Esports and have also qualified to represent India at the upcoming 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, giving the national team a strong core with extensive experience competing together.
ALSO READ
- Rockstar Confirms GTA 6 Pre-Orders for June 25 Ahead of November Launch
- Expected GTA 6 Soundtrack: Songs, Artists, and Radio Station Rumors
- Capcom Unveils Resident Evil Veronica Remake at Summer Game Fest 2026
- GTA 6 Fan Visits Rockstar North HQ to Push for Turkish Localization
- Honor of Kings PLUS Arrives June 17: Enter The Grand Venture
- GTA 6 Update: November 19 Release Locked In, Summer Pre-Orders Confirmed, and More
The roster is further strengthened by Panda, widely regarded as India’s premier top laner. Panda previously competed alongside Kat Bot and Infi for S8UL at the League of Legends Championship Pacific (LCP) 2026 Promotion Wild Card Playoffs, adding another layer of familiarity and chemistry to the lineup. Completing the starting five is Sam, one of the country’s most reliable players in his role, known for his consistency, strong game sense, and ability to enable team-oriented play.
Providing additional depth to the squad are substitutes DoubleYou and Shockya. DoubleYou is among the highest-ranked players in the Indian League of Legends scene and is valued for his versatility across multiple roles, while Shockya is regarded as one of the country’s leading bot laners and adds further quality and experience to the roster.
Speaking about the announcement, Aakash Shandilya aka Infi, captain of India’s League of Legends team, said, “Representing India is always a special responsibility. This roster brings together players who have competed together for years and understand each other’s strengths well. We have a strong mix of experience, individual talent, and synergy, and our immediate focus is on preparing well for the qualifiers and earning our place at the Esports Nations Cup.”
League of Legends at ENC 2026 will take place from November 21 to 29, featuring 32 national teams competing for a prize pool of USD 1.5 million (~INR 14 crore).
The Esports Foundation will allocate 16 direct invitations through the official ENC 2026 Rankings, which aggregate and rank player performances across official Riot Games competitions through June 14, 2026. A further 14 teams will qualify through online regional qualifiers scheduled from June 19 to 21, with two teams qualifying from each of seven regions: Asia, North America, South America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia & Oceania, and Middle East & Africa. The final two places will be awarded through wildcard slots, comprising one Solidarity Slot and one Host Region Slot.
ESPORTS NATIONS CUP 2026 – ALL ANNOUNCED ROSTERS OF TEAM INDIA
Elsewhere, India’s preparations for ENC 2026 continue across multiple titles. NODWIN Gaming has already announced the following national team rosters:
DOTA 2: Krish Gupta (Krish), Vishal Vernekar (HBK), Dhvanit Singh Negi (Negi), Manav Kunte (MnZ), and Yash Thakur (xand3r_^). Moin Ejaz (NO_Chanc3) will serve as coach. The roster will compete in the regional qualifiers from June 29 to July 1, where two teams will secure qualification.
Chess: Grandmasters Nihal Sarin and Mitrabha Guha have qualified to represent India at the ENC 2026 main event.
MOBA Legends: 5v5!: Gaithanlung Gonmei (Kyle), Susanta Biswas (Kimyy), Abhijeet Katkar (Asuna), Rithik Sohal (Romcom), Evancius A. Sangma (Vann), Mohammad Saad (Apex) and Jay Mehta (J). Steve Vitug (Dale) will serve as coach.
India is currently ranked 11th in the MOBA Legends: 5v5! ENC rankings and remains in contention for a direct invitation. Should it miss out, the team will compete in the regional qualifiers scheduled for August 15 to 16.
Rocket League: Abhai Ponna (Abscrazy), Karthik Raghunandan (Karvin), Aditeya Srivastav (Riyal), and substitute player Jayanth Engineer (Orjanguse). Nirjhar Mitra (jocse) will serve as coach.
The team will compete in the regional qualifiers from July 17-19, where three teams from Asia will secure qualification for the ENC 2026 Finals.
