Unexpected: Patidar’s SIM Card Connects Chhattisgarh Boy with Virat

In a small village in Chhattisgarh, a grocery shop owner recently had an experience he never imagined. He began receiving back-to-back phone calls from people claiming to be Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers. At first, he thought it was just a prank. But things took a surprising turn when Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Rajat Patidar himself called.

Not knowing the truth, the shopkeeper jokingly replied, “I’m MS Dhoni, captain of CSK,” thinking it was all in fun.

The mystery didn’t take long to unravel. It turned out that Rajat Patidar’s old SIM card had been deactivated after three months of no recharge. As per TRAI rules, such numbers are later reassigned to new customers. On June 28, that very number was allotted to the shopkeeper, Manish.

When he inserted the SIM, he noticed Patidar’s photo on WhatsApp but assumed it was a glitch. Soon after, he started getting calls from Kohli and ABD. Initially, he laughed it off and even refused Patidar’s polite request to return the number, not believing it was real. Eventually, Patidar approached the police for help.

When the police met Manish, they confirmed the number previously belonged to Patidar and that the callers were indeed Kohli and AB de Villiers. Realizing the truth, Manish immediately handed over the SIM to the police so it could be returned to Patidar.

Word spread quickly in the village, and everyone was eager to hear his story. Manish was overjoyed to share how, for a brief moment, he got the rare chance to speak with cricket stars Kohli, ABD, and Patidar.