India esports squad for Asian Games 2026 — Full list of players travelling to Aichi-Nagoya

India’s League of Legends team (from left): Ahmed Shahid Israr, Sanindhya Malik, Rahul Bisht, Aakash Shandilya, Akshaj Shenoy, and Mihir Ranjan.  | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

India will enter the esports competition at the 2026 Asian Games with a 15-member squad across four titles — League of Legends, Pokémon UNITE, eFootball and Puyo Puyo Champions — as esports continues to expand its presence on the Asian sporting stage.

The strongest medal hopes are likely to come in Pokémon UNITE and League of Legends, where India has fielded full teams. The Pokémon UNITE side, led by Adnan Mohammed Badshah, features six players, while Akshaj Shenoy will captain India’s League of Legends team. Both titles will offer India an opportunity to challenge established esports nations in team competition.

India will also have two representatives in eFootball, with Chinmay Sahoo and Danial Shakeel Patel carrying the country’s hopes in the football simulation title. Paritosh will compete in Puyo Puyo Champions, giving India a singles entry in the puzzle game.

READ: India shooting squad for Asian Games 2026 — Full list of players travelling to Aichi-Nagoya

However, India’s campaign will not cover all the esports titles on the Asian Games programme. It will not participate in PUBG Mobile, Honor of Kings, Gran Turismo 7, Naraka: Bladepoint, Identity V or Mobile Legends: Bang Bang.

The esports competition will be held from September 23 to October 2 at the Aichi Sky Expo. With established esports powers such as China, South Korea and Japan expected to provide formidable opposition, India’s medal prospects will depend heavily on its preparation and ability to adapt to the high-pressure Asian Games environment.

TEAM INDIA SQUAD

Football [eFootball]

Chinmay Sahoo and Danial Shakeel Patel

Puzzle [Puyo Puyo Champions]

Paritosh

MOBA [League of Legends]

Ahmed Shahid Israr, Rahul Bisht, Sanindhya Malik, Mihir Ranjan, Aakash Shandilya, and Akshaj Shenoy

MOBA [Pokémon UNITE]

Adnan Mohammed Badshah, Reuben Godfrey Fernandes, Sai Krishna Nalluri, Dipjyoti Laxman Nath, Rudra Narayan Nayak, and Deepkumar Vipulbhai Patel

Published on Sep 16, 2026

Latest on Sportstar

1. Live Blog 2026-09-16T20:06:52+05:30

   East Bengal vs Al Hussein ACL 2 LIVE — Edmund starts; Starting lineups; EBFC in AFC Champions League 2
2. Chess Olympiad 2026: India beats Thailand 3-1 despite Arjun upset; women complete 4-0 sweep in Round 1
3. India squad for West Indies ODIs announced: Rahul named vice-captain, Nabi gets maiden call-up — Full list of players