For Manish Bisi, a young man from the quiet village of Madagaon in Chhattisgarh’s Gariaband district, buying a new SIM card was supposed to be just another errand. But what followed was nothing short of a script straight out of a Bollywood film—complete with celebrity encounters, disbelief, and a twist no one in his village could have imagined.
The SIM card he purchased once belonged to Rajat Patidar, a rising cricket star and captain for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). Within days, Manish found himself answering calls from cricket icons like Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers, along with other RCB players.
It all began on June 28, when Manish bought a new Jio SIM card from a mobile phone shop in Deobhog, a small town about eight kilometres from his village. His friend Khemraj accompanied him. After installing WhatsApp on his phone, the pair noticed something odd—the profile picture displayed was that of Rajat Patidar in full RCB gear.
At first, they thought it was just a technical glitch. “We thought the system must have mistakenly linked the old display picture to the number,” Manish later recalled. But things quickly escalated when the phone began ringing—and the voices on the other end claimed to be Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, and Yash Dayal.
Disbelief and Playful Doubts
At first, neither Manish nor Khemraj believed the calls were genuine. Both assumed that friends were playing an elaborate prank on them. Khemraj admitted that they even “played along” with the callers, not realising that they were speaking to actual cricket stars.
But the turning point came on July 15, when Rajat Patidar himself called. His opening line was direct and urgent:
“Brother, please return my SIM.”
Still sceptical, the duo thought this was just another joke—until Patidar’s tone shifted. He warned that if the matter wasn’t resolved, he would involve the police. Within minutes, a police team arrived at Manish’s home, putting to rest any doubts about the authenticity of the calls.
How the SIM Mix-Up Happened(Rajat Patidar)
Gariaband Deputy Superintendent of Police Neha Sinha later explained the unusual chain of events. According to telecom policy, a SIM card is deactivated if it remains unused for 90 consecutive days. Once deactivated, the number is reassigned to a new customer—in this case, to Manish.
“Manish was genuinely receiving calls from cricketers who were in contact with Rajat Patidar,” Sinha said. “Patidar had informed the Madhya Pradesh Cyber Cell that his old number had been reassigned. He requested assistance to get it back.”
The MP Cyber Cell contacted Gariaband police, who spoke with Manish and his family. With their full consent, the SIM card was returned to Patidar.
“There was no legal fault on anyone’s part. It was simply the result of standard telecom procedures,” the Deputy SP clarified.
Once-in-a-Lifetime Conversations
For Manish and Khemraj, the whirlwind of phone calls felt surreal. Khemraj, a die-hard Virat Kohli fan, described the moment he realised he was speaking to his cricket idol:
“I never imagined I would speak to Virat Kohli one day, and that too from our village.”
The call from AB de Villiers was equally memorable. “He spoke in English,” Khemraj laughed, “We couldn’t understand much, but we were so excited just to hear his voice.”
Manish often handed the phone to Khemraj when such calls came in. Players like Kohli and Yash Dayal would ask, “Why are you using Patidar’s number?” The friends explained that they had simply bought a new SIM, unaware of its history.
A Village United in Joy
News of the incident spread quickly through Madagaon. The villagers, many of whom are passionate RCB supporters, were thrilled that two of their own had directly spoken to some of cricket’s biggest names.
Manish’s brother, Deshbandhu Bisi, described the mood:
“Most people here are RCB fans. Talking to legends like Kohli and de Villiers is something we could never dream of. Even now, it feels unreal.”
Even though the entire episode was triggered by a simple mix-up, the villagers are cherishing the experience. “People dream of just catching a glimpse of these cricketers. We actually got to speak with them,” Deshbandhu said proudly.
Despite losing the SIM card, Manish harbours no resentment. He and Khemraj see the incident as a once-in-a-lifetime stroke of luck. For them, the short-lived ownership of Patidar’s number gave them something far more valuable than a mobile connection—memories they will treasure forever.
The episode also sheds light on a little-known aspect of telecom operations. While most users are aware that unused SIM cards can be deactivated, few realise that high-profile or celebrity numbers are also subject to the same rule.
In this case, Patidar’s number was deactivated after 90 days of non-use and reassigned to the first eligible new customer—no different from how it would happen for any other subscriber.
While the reassignment process is standard, the unintended side effects in this case led to one of the most unusual celebrity–common man interactions in recent memory.
In Madagaon, this tale has already entered local folklore. People stop Manish and Khemraj to ask them about the conversations, eager to hear every detail. The village, which rarely finds itself in national headlines, has enjoyed its moment in the spotlight thanks to a quirk of fate and a recycled SIM card.
For now, life in Madagaon has returned to its usual pace. Patidar has his number back, and Manish is using a different SIM. But the memory of those unexpected calls—and the thrill of hearing the voices of cricketing greats—will stay with them forever.
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