Chhattisgarh youth gets calls from Kohli, De Villiers after SIM mix-up with RCB captain Rajat Patidar

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A 21-year-old from a remote Chhattisgarh village found himself at the centre of unexpected cricketing attention after a routine SIM reallocation landed him the former mobile number of Indian Premier League cricketer Rajat Patidar, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) captain in the current season, TOI reported.

Manish Bisi, a resident of Madagaon in Gariaband district, purchased a new SIM card from Devbhog in late June. Unbeknownst to him, the number assigned had previously belonged to Patidar but had fallen inactive for nearly six months. Under telecom norms, such numbers can be reassigned, a technical quirk that triggered days of confusion and amusement in the village.

According to Gariaband Superintendent of Police Nikhil Rakhecha, once the number was activated, Manish began receiving calls and WhatsApp messages meant for Patidar, with some from high-profile cricketing names like Virat Kohli, Yash Dayal and former South African batsman AB de Villiers. “We have now returned the number to cricketer Rajat Patidar,” the SP was cited by TOI as saying.

Manish’s friend Khemraj Bisi helped set up WhatsApp on the new SIM in early July. To their surprise, the app’s profile photo automatically displayed Patidar’s picture. Initially dismissing it as a glitch, they continued using the number.

Within days, calls poured in from unknown numbers. Many callers addressed Manish as “Rajat” and attempted to discuss cricket-related matters. Believing it all to be a prank, the two friends even indulged in light-hearted exchanges for nearly a fortnight.

The situation shifted when Patidar, unable to access his old number, reached out to the Madhya Pradesh cyber cell. The MP police then coordinated with their Chhattisgarh counterparts, who sent a team to Madagaon to retrieve the SIM.

“The Devbhog police came to us and asked for the SIM card back, saying it belonged to a VIP. We returned it to them,” Khemraj said, as reported by TOI. He recounted that when Patidar personally called requesting the return of the number, they initially thought it was another prank, until he warned them the police would be arriving. “About 10 minutes later, the police arrived,” he said.

The SIM card has since been dispatched to Patidar by post, Devbhog police confirmed. Manish, a self-confessed Virat Kohli fan, described the episode as a once-in-a-lifetime experience and expressed hope of meeting Patidar someday.