SSP Chowrasia: A Star is Born

New Delhi, Oct 26: A masqueraded Virender Sehwag swapping his willow for the club and whacking not the cherry but the ball with 300 plus dimples -- that is SSP Chowrasia for a cricket-crazy populace.

Humble background, rustic charm, talent in abundance, flair and a natural aggression complete the list of uncanny similarities between the duo and while Sehwag is already a household name, Chowrasia has finally arrived.

Hailed as the next best thing in Indian golf and affectionately called ''Chipputtsia'' for a magical short game, Chowrasia burst onto the Asian scene in his rookie year and, his peers vouch, he is here to stay.

''He is a complete package and people saw what he is really capable of. I told him that he has the game to win in Asian Tour and I see him doing that in the next couple of years, if not the next year itself,'' prophesied Shiv Kapur, another exciting talents making splash in Asian tour.

''He has got the game, the heart and the attitude. He is a fearless player and I think he can play wherever he wants, be it European Tour of PGA Tour. The only thing is he has to set his target and work towards it,'' explained Shiv.

Son of a green keeper at Royal Calcutta Golf Club, Chowrasia, alleged his citymate and often roommate when the play abroad Rahil Gangjee, could not be convinced to foray into Asian Tour.

In his eventful rookie year, Chowrasia was leading after the second round in the Taiwan Open before being disqualified for not signing the card but the Kolkata pro overcame the tragedy to force a play-off in the Indian Open before finishing second best behind Jyoti Randhawa.

Despite the defeat, Chowrasia's biggest career cheque of 33,900 dollar pushed him up to 36th on the UBS Order of Merit and in contention to lift Rookie of the Year honours.

Randhawa has no doubt that here is the future of Indian golf.

''He surely is the next best thing in Indian golf and is capable of winning Asian Tour titles next season. He has a great short game, which incidentally overshadows his brilliant long game, and he has the game to be right at the top,'' Randhawa told UNI.

''He is a natural player, with a cool, rather lazy attitude - a man of his own. He needs to play more and more abroad and see how things progress,'' advised the senior pro.

Seasoned Gaurav Ghei didn't differ either in his views on the rookie. ''This is his rookie year and he twice came close to winning titles! I mean people now say why he didn't enter Asian Tour earlier. But I feel he has done the right thing by going out there when he felt confident about his game and his recent shows only vindicate his sense of timing,'' he opined.

Chowrasia, who walks with an unmistakable spring in his steps and a disarming smile on his lips, is elated with pat from the peers but is careful not to waste the momentum.

''It has been a great season in the Asian Tour and I didn't miss cut in any of the 12 events so far. In fact, I came close to winning twice and that made me more confident,'' he told UNI.

''Now the difficult part of the job is to keep the momentum going. I have secured my next year's card in the Asian Tour and would like to concentrate there for the next couple of years before trying my hand at Japan Tour, which is more difficult,'' he revealed.

Asked about European Tour, Chowrasia sounds rather embarrassed.

''I don't think I can play in such cold conditions. After all, Bengalis don't want to move out in winter without their blanket and you can't swing the club with the rag on,'' he quipped before bursting into laughter.

Queried about his game, Chowrasia sounds outrageous when he said he is not happy with his much talked about short game and feels there still is room for more improvements.

''Regarding my long game, I don't think there is much to work on.

But my short game definitely can be improved further. The Asian Tour courses are faster and that should help my short game.

''Just a day before the Indian Open, I was not getting my putting right. Rafiq Ali then told me to change stance and spread legs further and it paid off. That's how you keep adjusting and improving things,'' he observed.

Asked about forgetting to sign the card in Taiwan, which cost him quite a considerable amount of money, Chowrasia said he is not rankled by the incident anymore.

''It was shattering, especially after coming so close. I was so sad that I skipped the next tournament and returned home and spent a week with my family to overcome it.

''But that's behind me but I'm definitely never going to repeat the folly again,'' he added.

UNI