India has announced its senior men’s and women’s rugby sevens squads for the opening round of the Asia Rugby Emirates Sevens Series 2026, which will be held in Suzhou, China, on August 29 and 30.
The two-round continental competition features 24 leading men’s and women’s national teams from across Asia. After the opening round in Suzhou, the series will conclude in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on October 17-18, when the 2026 champions will be crowned.
The tournament will also give both Indian teams valuable high-level exposure ahead of the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games.
India men make top-tier return
The senior men’s team will make its debut in the Asia Rugby Emirates Sevens Series after earning promotion from the Asia Rugby Emirates Sevens Trophy in 2025.
India have been placed in Pool A alongside Japan, the United Arab Emirates and Singapore.
Head coach Paul Albaladejo said the team understands the step up in competition but is looking forward to the challenge.
“CASA 7s was a strong start to the season, but the Asia Rugby Emirates Sevens Series is a different level. Making our debut at the highest level in Asia is a big challenge, and that is exactly what we want,” Albaladejo said.
“We know we’ll be tested, but we’re ready to step up, compete hard and embrace the opportunity.”
Women aim to build on 2025 progress
The Indian women’s team will enter its second consecutive season in the series after making significant progress during its debut campaign.
India improved from 10th place to finish sixth overall in 2025. South African Paul Delport will continue as head coach for a second season as the team looks to climb further up the standings.
The women have been drawn in Pool D with defending champions Japan, the United Arab Emirates and Iran.
Delport said the team’s objective would be to improve on its previous ranking while recognising the quality of the opposition.
“We’ll be aiming to improve on last year’s ranking, while recognising that the teams competing for those positions are world-class,” he said.
“We know the challenge ahead, and we’re ready to give our best and continue building on the progress we made last year.”
Rahul Bose backs both teams
Rugby India president Rahul Bose described the Asia Rugby Emirates Sevens Series as an important platform for India’s men’s and women’s teams to compete among Asia’s leading rugby nations.
“The Asia Rugby Emirates Sevens Series is the most important platform for both our teams to rise to be amongst the top few countries in Asia,” Bose said.
He added that the women had built a strong foundation through their 2025 campaign, while the men’s promotion had opened a new chapter for Indian rugby.
“We look forward to seeing both teams compete with confidence and pride in Suzhou,” he said.
India’s squads for Suzhou
Senior Men’s Team
- Mohit Khatri (Captain)
- Sumit Kumar Roy (Vice-Captain)
- Ajay
- Aryan Satish Dixit
- Asis Sabar
- Deepak Kumar Punia
- Deshraj Singh
- Ganesh Dhangada Majhi
- Hitesh Dagar
- Javed Hussein
- Karan Rajbhar
- Shivam Shukla
- Shridhar Shrikant Nigade
Senior Women’s Team
- Shikha Yadav (Captain)
- Dumuni Marndi (Vice-Captain)
- Amandeep Kaur
- Arti Kumari
- Bhumika Shukla
- Chanel Crizzle
- Guriya Kumari
- Kalyani Patil
- Mama Naik
- Nirmalya Rout
- Sandhya Rai
- Sandhyarani Tudu
- Ujjwala Ghuge
The Indian teams will depart for Suzhou on August 26 and return on August 31.
Fans can watch the Asia Rugby Emirates Sevens Series live on Asia Rugby’s YouTube channel and RugbyPass TV.
The second and final round will take place in Colombo on October 17-18, with the overall 2026 champions to be decided at the conclusion of the event.
