Sometimes, the most incredible stories emerge from the tiniest corners of the world. What started as an ordinary SIM card purchase turned into Rajat Patidar’s SIM card drama. This unexpected event connected a serene village in Chhattisgarh to cricket legends Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers.
One day, 21-year-old Manish Bisi from Madagaon village in Chhattisgarh visited a shop in Deobhog to buy a new SIM card. He expected nothing unusual. After he popped in the SIM card, he noticed something odd: the WhatsApp profile picture showed none other than Rajat Patidar, the captain of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Manish thought it was a mistake. Numbers often change hands, so he didn’t think much about it. But he soon realised this number carried more than just a famous profile picture.
Within days, Manish’s phone rang. On the screen flashed a name he could hardly believe: Virat Kohli. At first, he doubted it was real. The voice on the other end confirmed it. Soon, more calls followed. AB de Villiers called. Yash Dayal called. Everyone was making an effort to reach out to Rajat Patidar. Manish and his friend Khemraj decided to answer. They joked around, sometimes pretending to be “MS Dhoni,” and laughed at their unexpected brush with cricket legends.
The news spread quickly through Madagaon. Neighbours gathered around whenever Manish’s phone rang, eager to listen in. The excitement was especially high among local RCB fans. Even though AB de Villiers spoke in English, which many in the village couldn’t fully understand, his calls became moments of joy. The villagers treated every call like a festival.
On July 15, the drama reached a new level. Rajat Patidar himself called the number. He told Manish to return the SIM card, explaining linked to his old number. At first, Manish didn’t believe him. However, when Patidar warned that the police might get involved, Manish finally realized the truth.. Not long after, officers from the Gariaband police station arrived at Manish’s home.
The situation had a simple explanation. Patidar’s old number had been inactive for a while. According to telecom rules, unused numbers are recycled and reassigned to new customers. That’s exactly how Manish ended up with a number that once belonged to an IPL cricketer.
The Cyber Cell of Madhya Pradesh reached out to the Gariaband police to help sort out the issue. The officers explained the situation to Manish. He agreed to return the SIM card without any trouble. The police confirmed that Manish had committed no crime. This was purely a mix-up caused by standard telecom procedure.
Rajat Patidar’s SIM card drama turning point is that, even though Manish had to give up the SIM, he says the experience was worth it. He got to speak to Virat Kohli, something he had only dreamed about. Khemraj shared the same feeling. He admitted he never thought a small village boy like him would get to talk to some of cricket’s biggest stars. Even if the calls were meant for someone else, they made the most of their rare moment.
