India has skipped the queue and marched straight into the throne room.
Nodwin Gaming has unveiled India’s Honor of Kings squad for the inaugural Esports Nations Cup (ENC) 2026 after the country secured a coveted special invite to the game’s main event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. With the invitation in hand, India’s title ambitions have gone from hopeful to very much alive.
The Honor of Kings competition will run from 24 to 29 November 2026, with 24 national teams battling for a prize purse of US$1.32 million (around Rs 12.5 crore). India is among the teams handed a direct route into the finals, avoiding the grind of the regional qualifiers.
The squad blends the proven winners with rising stars. Rahul Lavhate (Kyurem), Aashish Chouhan (Deadshot), Ainul Haidery (Senpai), Saurabh Jagadale (Kael) and Bezalel Hmar (Eto) make up the starting five, while Aryan Gulati (TT) and Saad Sardar (Darkness) have been named as substitutes. Head coach Gradyano Valendy (Rinnqt) will oversee the team’s campaign.
The line-up arrives with plenty of silverware in tow. Senpai and Deadshot, who represent Revenant Xspark, recently clinched the Bengaluru leg of the kings arise India city tour and are also set to represent India at the Honor of Kings World Cup. S8UL Esports duo Kyurem and Kael lifted the Mumbai leg of the same competition, while GodLike Esports’ Eto completes a roster packed with firepower rather than passengers.
“We want to deliver performances the community can be proud of, establish India as a strong competitor on the global Honor of Kings stage, and inspire more players to pursue the game competitively,” said India’s in-game leader Ainul Haidery, better known as Senpai.
The invite further strengthens India’s growing footprint at ENC 2026. The country has now qualified in five titles: BGMI, Chess, Honor of Kings, Trackmania and Valorant. BGMI also earned a special invite, while grandmaster Nihal Sarin qualified for Chess through the official rankings and Mitrabha Guha secured his berth through the regional qualifiers. India’s Valorant team fought its way through the Asia regional qualifiers, while Trackmania racer Kunal Upreti (Spark) also booked his place through the qualifying route.
Not every campaign has gone India’s way. The Dota 2 team bowed out after a narrow defeat to Pakistan in the South and East Asia qualifier’s lower-bracket final, while the Pubg: Battlegrounds squad finished sixth in the Asia-Pacific regional qualifier, falling short of a place at the main event.
The quest, however, is not over. India’s Moba Legends: 5v5! team remains in contention for a direct invitation and, if required, will compete in the regional qualifiers scheduled for 15 and 16 August 2026. One kingdom has already opened its gates. India will now be looking to conquer a few more.
