Esports Nations Cup 2026 (ANI Photo)
NEW DELHI: India have secured their place at the VALORANT main event of the Esports Nations Cup (ENC) 2026 after producing a determined run through the Asia regional qualifiers, becoming one of only two teams from the region to qualify for the global competition. They first overcame Pakistan 13-9 in the Lower Bracket quarterfinals before edging past Mongolia 13-10 to reach the Lower Bracket Final, where a place at the ENC 2026 main event was at stake. Abhishek Bajaj (GodspeedxD), appointed by NODWIN Gaming as India’s National Team Partner for ENC 2026, served as the team’s coach. The VALORANT competition at ENC 2026 will begin with a round-robin group stage featuring all 32 qualified teams split into four groups of eight. The top four teams from each group will progress to a 16-team single-elimination playoff bracket. The tournament will culminate in a best-of-five Grand Final as the world’s top national teams battle for the prestigious title and a share of the USD 1.5 million prize pool.
Facing elimination, the Indian side showed remarkable resilience. The squad also featured Abhirup Choudhury (Lightningfast), Aman Yadav (Hoax), Venkatesh Sharma (Venky) and Daivik Chauhan (Dc), with Norbu Tsering (Karam1L) and Shravana Sahoo (Techno) serving as substitutes. Group-stage matches will be played as best-of-one contests, while the playoffs will follow a best-of-three format.