Rahul Sharma - a blue chip for Indian cricket!

In any other match his performance would have been headlined and he would have been the subject of much media attention.

For a debutant leg spinner to take three wickets in each of his first three overs in international cricket is a feat perhaps unique, but Rahul Sharma's mesmeric bowling at Indore - all his three victims were bowled - was overshadowed by Virender Sehwag's world record score of 219 and so did not receive the accolades and media space it deserved.

But does it matter? It's only a matter of time before the talented and ambitious youngster who turned 25 just a week before the achievement against the West Indies starts hogging the headlines.

Ponting or Hussey will go: Border

Is the Jalandhar-born Rahul the next best thing to happen to Indian cricket as far as spin bowling is concerned?

One must be careful in assessing how good a player is based on performances in the IPL and in just two ODIs but at the risk of being proved wrong, I am willing to stick my neck out and predict that he will make it big. He has made the limited overs squad and it is only a matter of time before he forces himself into the Test team.

Suddenly Rahul is a much-talked about cricketer. He shot into prominence in this year's IPL bagging 16 wickets for a struggling Pune Warriors team with a miserly economy rate of 5.46 - which was the best among bowlers who played more than five matches. But this was not the only thing going for him. He was able to extract both turn and bounce and what's more was remarkably accurate.

Creating an indelible impression by his subtle bowling skills he was regarded as having an outside chance of making the squad for the Caribbean in June. He
just missed out, but there was never any doubt that his time would come. Now that it has one can only see an upward swing in his fortunes for the level
headed cricketer is not the kind to let go opportunities. He is very keen on making a mark in the game.

Rahul first caught the eye during Pune Warriors' first match against Mumbai: He went for just 14 runs in his three overs and took one wicket. But that one
wicket was that of Sachin Tendulkar who was suitably impressed. Rahul says the great man congratulated him after the match. "He told me that I am bowling at my best. It is the best compliment that one can receive."

Didn't want to be just a figurehead: Kumble

The improvement in Rahul's bowling over the past year is best reflected by figures: Last season, he took just five wickets and went at over eight runs an
over in the six matches he played for Deccan Chargers. He attributes some of his success to the advice he has received from Harbhajan Singh. ''I had a chat
with Bhajji when he came to Jalandhar and he told me that my strong point is the bounce I can extract," said Rahul in a recent interview. He has also received similar advice from Punjab coach Bhupinder Singh who says he has told him to hit the pitch so that he gets bounce.

According to Bhupinder he is very similar to Anil Kumble – something endorsed by the fact that all his four victims in two ODIs have been bowled.

Given his height (he is over six feet tall) the bounce comes naturally to Rahul. But he is also working on bowling a wicket-to-wicket line and using as many
variations as possible. ''You can't be predictable in Twenty20,'' he says. Obviously he is a thinking man's bowler.

Rahul had it tough in the early days as there was no coach to tell him what to bowl and how to bowl. He is largely a self-made man for he picked up the finer
points of the game just by seeing senior players on television as well as on the field. Gradual improvement saw him being selected for the Indian Under-19
team for the Asia Cup in 2006. He did well enough to convince his father who was not keen on his son playing cricket to let him pursue the game seriously.

More on Sports

Rahul has also had to contend with off field issues that almost threatened to cut short his career. A sudden bout of Bell's Palsy meant that his future was
suddenly in danger. This was the time when he was with the Deccan Chargers. He was going out for a practice session and felt numb on the right side. He was unable to sight the ball properly and everything was a blur. The doctor advised him complete rest and he is grateful to the Deccan Chargers management who took care of everything.

All that is past now and Rahul these days is a picture of confidence. He attacks the batsman by making him play thanks mainly to his accuracy which is his forte. During the IPL match against Rajasthan Royals he met up with Shane Warne who gave him tips to bowl to different batsmen. He is eager to learn and has picked his teachers well - Warne, Harbhajan and Kumble who is his idol. As an investment for the future Rahul is a blue chip.