India’s highly anticipated BGMI team for Esports Nations Cup 2026 unveiled; receives special invite to main event

NODWIN Gaming, India’s National Team Partner (NTP) for the Esports Nations Cup (ENC) 2026, has unveiled the country’s much-anticipated Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) roster for the inaugural edition of the global nation-based esports competition, set to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from November 2 to 29, 2026. Alongside the roster announcement, India has also been awarded a special invitation to the BGMI event at ENC 2026.

BGMI at ENC 2026 will take place from November 3 to 8, featuring 32 teams competing for a prize pool of USD 1.32 million (~INR 12.5 crore). A total of 124 national rosters representing 124 countries and territories have been officially submitted for the tournament. The Esports Foundation allocated 12 direct invitations through the ENC Ranking system, which aggregates points earned by players across the title’s official competitions until July 5, 2026. In addition, four countries and territories, including India, were awarded Special Invites to the main event. These invitations address specific technical or structural limitations that may prevent participation through the standard qualification pathway and are determined based on eligibility criteria aligned with game partner ecosystems and game-specific operational requirements.

The Indian squad will be led by Nakul Sharma (Nakul) and features Yash Choudhary (Legit), Rudra Banswani (Spower), Ankit Shukla (Akop), Abhijot Singh (Pain), and Raghuraj Singh (Slug). Rahul (Ayogi), who was appointed as India’s BGMI coach by NODWIN Gaming, will oversee the team’s preparations for ENC 2026.

The lineup brings together some of the most accomplished names in the country’s BGMI ecosystem, combining multiple national champions with players who have consistently performed on the international stage. Leading the side is Nakul, widely regarded as one of India’s finest in-game leaders. The 21-year-old has captained teams to victories at the BGMI Masters Series (BGMS) 2022, BGMI Pro Series (BMPS) 2023, BGMS 2024, Chennai Esports Global Championship (CEGC) 2025, and most recently BGIS 2026, where he was recognized as the tournament’s Best IGL.

Alongside him is his iQOO SouL teammate Legit, whose consistency and firepower have been central to the team’s recent success. The 20-year-old played a pivotal role in his team’s triumphs at CEGC 2025 and BGIS 2026, where he was named Finals MVP.

The roster is further strengthened by Spower, who recently guided GodLike Esports to the BMPS 2026 title. Earlier in his career, he partnered with Nakulo at Blind Esports, with the duo winning both BMPS 2023 and the Skyesports Championship 5.0. Joining them is Akop, winner of the BGMI Showdown (BMSD) and iQOO Battlegrounds Series in 2025. He also represented India at the PUBG Mobile Global Championship (PMGC) 2025 and has already qualified for the PUBG Mobile World Championship (PMWC) at the Esports World Cup 2026 with Orangutan.

Completing the lineup are SLUG, who lifted the BGMS Season 4 trophy with K9 Esports, and Pain, one of India’s most dependable BGMI players, whose consistent performances with iQOO Revenant Xspark have earned him a place among the country’s top competitors.

Speaking on the announcement, team captain Nakul Sharma aka Nakul said, “Representing India is a special kind of responsibility because you are playing for something much bigger than yourself or your organization. This squad brings together players from different teams, but we all share the same goal. Over the coming months, our focus will be on building chemistry, refining our communication, and making sure we are ready to compete with the best teams in the world. We are grateful for the opportunity and determined to make India proud at the Esports Nations Cup.”

With this announcement, India has now secured representation in four titles at ENC 2026: BGMI, Chess, VALORANT, and Trackmania. In Chess, Grandmaster Nihal Sarin earned a direct invitation through the official ENC Rankings, with Mitrabha Guha progressing through the regional qualifiers. India’s VALORANT team secured qualification through the Asia regional qualifiers, and Trackmania star Kunal Upreti (Spark) also booked his place at the global event after advancing from the Asia regional qualifier.

Attention now turns to the remaining titles. India’s PUBG: Battlegrounds team will compete in the regional online qualifiers from July 10 to 12, where 10 teams will secure qualification for the ENC 2026 main event. The country’s Rocket League team will then compete from July 17 to 19, with three Asian teams advancing to the Finals. India’s MOBA Legends: 5v5! squad also remains in contention for a direct invitation to the main event at ENC 2026 and, if required, will compete in the regional qualifiers scheduled for August 15 to 16.