India has announced a 15-member esports contingent for the 2026 Asian Games. Meet all 15 players, the four games they will compete in, and India’s esports schedule.
India’s esports campaign at the 2026 Asian Games is officially taking shape, with the country set to send 15 players to Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has approved the contingent, with Indian players selected across four different games as esports returns to the Asian Games programme.
The esports competition will take place from September 23 to October 2, while the wider Asian Games run from September 19 to October 4. India will compete in League of Legends, Pokémon UNITE, eFootball, and Puyo Puyo Champions, giving the country representation across team-based, football simulation, and puzzle esports.
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Who Is Representing India at the Asian Games?
The 15 player contingent is split across four games. League of Legends and Pokémon UNITE have six players each, and eFootball has two, while Paritosh will represent India as the country’s sole competitor in Puyo Puyo Champions. Here is the complete Indian esports contingent:
| Player | Game |
|---|---|
| Ahmed Shahid Israr | League of Legends |
| Rahul Bisht | League of Legends |
| Sanindhya Malik | League of Legends |
| Mihir Ranjan | League of Legends |
| Aakash Shandilya | League of Legends |
| Akshaj Shenoy | League of Legends |
| Adnan Mohammed Badshah | Pokémon UNITE |
| Reuben Godfrey Fernandes | Pokémon UNITE |
| Sai Krishna Nalluri | Pokémon UNITE |
| Dipjyoti Laxman Nath | Pokémon UNITE |
| Rudra Narayan Nayak | Pokémon UNITE |
| Deepkumar Vipulbhai Patel | Pokémon UNITE |
| Chinmay Sahoo | eFootball |
| Danial Shakeel Patel | eFootball |
| Paritosh | Puyo Puyo Champions |
The League of Legends team will be led by captain Akshaj Shenoy, with Ahmed Shahid Israr, Rahul Bisht, Sanindhya Malik, Mihir Ranjan, and Aakash Shandilya completing the six-player lineup. Meanwhile, Adnan Mohammed Badshah will captain the Pokémon UNITE squad alongside Reuben Godfrey Fernandes, Sai Krishna Nalluri, Dipjyoti Laxman Nath, Rudra Narayan Nayak, and Deepkumar Vipulbhai Patel.
What Games Will India Play?
India’s selection covers four very different esports formats. League of Legends and Pokémon UNITE are team-based multiplayer games, while eFootball brings football simulation into the competition. Puyo Puyo Champions, meanwhile, gives India representation in a fast paced puzzle title.
The League of Legends team will be particularly interesting to follow after India finished fifth in the event at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou. The country also sent a larger 19-member esports contingent to that edition, while the 2026 squad consists of 15 players across four titles.
For Pokémon UNITE, India will have a full six-player roster, while the two-player eFootball team of Chinmay Sahoo and Danial Shakeel Patel will represent the country in the football simulation event. Paritosh will carry India’s hopes in Puyo Puyo Champions as the sole player selected for the title.
When Will India’s Esports Campaign Begin?
The Asian Games have already begun in Aichi-Nagoya, but India’s esports players will have to wait a few more days before entering competition. The esports events are scheduled to begin on September 23 and continue through October 2 at the Aichi International Exhibition Centre in Tokoname.
There will be 13 esports titles across the overall Asian Games programme, but India has qualified for four of them. That means the 15 players will be focused entirely on their respective games as they attempt to turn India’s growing esports presence into results on one of Asia’s biggest sporting stages.
For the players, this is also an opportunity to represent India in a setting that goes far beyond the usual esports circuit. They will compete under the national flag alongside athletes from traditional sporting disciplines, making the Aichi-Nagoya Games another important chapter in India’s esports journey. With 15 players, four games, and medals on the line, India’s esports campaign is ready to begin. Can India’s esports contingent bring home a medal from Aichi-Nagoya? Let us know in the comments.
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