India name their League of Legends roster as the Esports Nations Cup squad takes shape
NODWIN Gaming has revealed India’s League of Legends roster for November’s Esports Nations Cup in Riyadh, the latest in a run of squad and coach announcements ahead of the nation-versus-nation event.
Jun 23, 2026
India’s plan for the Esports Nations Cup is starting to look like a real campaign rather than a wish list. NODWIN Gaming, named as the country’s National Team Partner for the tournament, has now revealed India’s League of Legends roster, the latest in a run of squad announcements as the November event in Riyadh draws closer.
The League of Legends side will be led by Aakash Shandilya, better known in game as Infi, with Pankaj Upadhyay (KAKA) installed as coach. It is a seven-man group counting substitutes, and for a title where India has never been a global force, simply having a settled, partner-backed roster this far out is a step up from how these campaigns usually come together.
A nation-versus-nation event with serious backing
The Esports Nations Cup runs in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from November 2 to 29, built around a 16-game lineup and a prize pool reported at 20 million dollars. The format pits countries against each other rather than clubs, which changes the maths for a nation like India that has depth in mobile titles but is still building in PC esports. India is targeting entries across 11 of the 16 games on offer.
Coaches and rosters falling into place
The League of Legends reveal sits alongside a wider set of announcements. NODWIN has named Abhishek Bajaj, who plays under the tag GodspeedxD, as the VALORANT coach, and handed the Dota 2 side to Moin Ejaz, the long-serving NO_Chanc3, whose experience in that scene runs back more than a decade. India’s chess pair of Nihal Sarin and Mitrabha Guha has already booked a place at the main event, giving the contingent at least one discipline where it can genuinely compete with anyone.
Qualifiers still to clear
Not all of this is locked in. Several of India’s teams, the League of Legends roster included, still have to come through regional online qualifiers to reach the Riyadh finals, so the names announced now are a starting point rather than a guarantee of a place at the event. For Indian esports, used to piecemeal national efforts, the value here is in the structure. One partner, a clear pathway across titles, and rosters that are public months in advance. Whether that turns into results in Riyadh is the part nobody can announce yet.