Chhattisgarh – On June 28, Manish Bisi bought a new Jio SIM card. When he and his friend, Khemraj, installed WhatsApp, they were astonished to see the profile picture of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) captain Rajat Patidar. What they initially dismissed as a system glitch quickly turned into a bizarre reality.
Soon, calls started coming in from numbers belonging to cricketing legends like Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers. Khemraj, an ardent Kohli fan, excitedly recounted, “I never imagined I would speak to Virat Kohli one day, and that too from our village. When AB de Villiers called, he spoke in English. We couldn’t understand a word, but we were so thrilled.” Manish would often hand the phone to Khemraj for these calls. The callers, identifying themselves as Kohli and even Yash Dayal, questioned why they were using Patidar’s number. Manish and Khemraj, still convinced it was a prank by friends, simply explained they had bought a new SIM.
The Truth Unveiled: Patidar’s Plea and Police Involvement
The true nature of the situation became clear on July 15, when Rajat Patidar himself called, urgently asking them to return his SIM. Even then, Manish and Khemraj thought it was a joke until Patidar’s tone grew serious, mentioning police involvement. Minutes later, a police team arrived in the village, confirming the incredible reality of the situation.
Gariaband Deputy Superintendent of Police Neha Sinha explained that the SIM card had been deactivated after 90 days of inactivity, as per telecom policy, and was then reassigned to a new customer – Manish. Patidar had contacted the Madhya Pradesh Cyber Cell when he realized his number was reassigned. The MP Cyber Cell then coordinated with Gariaband police. With the consent of Manish and his family, the SIM was recently returned to Patidar. Sinha clarified, “There was no legal issue or fault on anyone’s part. This was simply a result of standard telecom procedures.”
An Unforgettable Experience for the Villagers
For Manish, Khemraj, and their families, the entire experience felt “like something out of a film.” Manish’s brother, Deshbandhu Bisi, shared the villagers’ overwhelming joy, especially since most are ardent RCB fans. “Even if it was all due to a mix-up, these conversations happened out of sheer luck. People just dream of seeing them, we got to speak to them,” he gushed. This accidental encounter provided an unforgettable moment of celebrity for a remote Indian village.
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