New Delhi, March 11 -- Akshay Bhatia is in red-hot form and his sensational charge at the Bay Hill course in Orlando, Florida, saw him reel in leader Daniel Berger before winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational, one of PGA Tour's signature events, in a playoff on Sunday. It was the 24-year-old's third title on the toughest golf tour, and each time he had come through the test after a playoff. Bhatia, who has risen to a career-best world No.19 on the back of a great early season - two top 10 finishes capped by the win - was announced as the headline act on Tuesday in the Hero Indian Open, the DP World Tour event to be played at the DLF Golf and Country Club, Gurugram from March 26-29. The prize purse has been increased to $2.55 million from $2.25mn last year, and the presence of Bhatia will elevate the tournament. The Players Championship this week will give another opportunity for the left-handed player to shine in a field led by world No.1 Scottie Scheffler and No.2 Rory McIlroy. It will be the first trip to the country of his parents' birth for Bhatia - his parents moved to the US from Delhi. Bhatiam, who turned pro at 17, won the feeder Korn Ferry Tour before installing himself as an exciting young talent on the main tour. He was youngest to make it to the Tour Championship in the last two years, he also made it to the Augusta Masters field in 2024 and 2025. India has been the destination of top golfers of late. Twice US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau played in the International Series India event at the DLF course early last year, finishing second. Major winners McIlroy, Shane Lowry and Brian Harman along with Tour Championship winner Tommy Fleetwood and Viktor Hovland played in the DP World India Championship at the Delhi Golf Course last October. Bhatia will be the latest in that list. Sahith Theegala, the other US player of Indian origin who has rediscovered his form after injury, has not played in India yet. Italy's Francesco Molinari, winner of The Open in 2018, will also be competing. As are Spain's Eugenio Chacarra, who emerged the surprise champion last year after getting in as a sponsor's entry, Belgium's Thomas Detry and South Africa's Casey Jarvis. Former runner-up Veer Ahlawat, Yuvraj Sandhu, Manu Gandas and Shaurya Bhattacharya are among the Indians in the fray. Subhankar Sharma, twice winner on the European tour, could also play on what is his home course....