Chhattisgarh Villager Accidentally Gets Calls From Virat Kohli And AB de Villiers After SIM Card Mix-Up

Manish Bisi, a young man from Madagaon village in Chhattisgarh, never imagined that buying a new SIM card would lead him to talk to some of the biggest names in cricket. On June 28, Manish purchased a Jio SIM card from a shop in Deobhog, about eight kilometres from his village. He was unaware that such a simple transaction would lead to an incredulous experience. The number originally was owned by Rajat Patidar, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru player, and within days of the purchase Manish started getting surprise calls from none other than Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, and other players associated with Patidar.

Manish and his friend Khemraj initially thought it was all a prank. When they had installed WhatsApp and checked Rajat Patidar's profile picture, they felt there was something fishy but still dismissed it. Before long, calls began to pour in from individuals who pretended to be renowned cricketers. Khemraj being a huge Virat Kohli enthusiast couldn't believe what he heard when a caller on the phone presented himself as Kohli.The suspense heightened when AB de Villiers phoned, even though he communicated in English, which the friends could not follow much. The friends, nevertheless, still felt the moment to be exciting and thought the friends could be responsible for the prank.

The calls persisted, and one morning, Patidar himself called Manish and asked for his number back in a very polite manner.Manish and Khemraj still did not take it seriously until Patidar said he would have to call the police so that they could resolve it.The seriousness of the conversation made them understand it was no joke.The police appeared shortly after, affirming the fact that it was real.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Neha Sinha later described what happened. Under telecom regulations, if a SIM card remains inactive for more than ninety days, the number can be deactivated and allotted to some other customer. Patidar's number had been alloted to Manish in the course of routine procedure. When Patidar realized that his contacts were not able to get through to him and were, instead, talking to someone else, he alerted the Madhya Pradesh Cyber Cell, who contacted the Gariaband police in return. The police officers questioned Manish and his relatives, who consented to return the SIM card.There was no misdoing on either party, and it was a mere result of normal telecom practice.

For the villagers the whole experience was like something that came straight out of a movie. Khemraj explained about how bizarre it was to speak with Virat Kohli in their small village.He remembered Kohli asking them why they were dialling Patidar's number and they informed him about purchasing a new SIM.Khemraj chuckled as he recalled how, every time there was a call, Manish would get him the phone so that he could talk to cricket heroes. Despite the entire ordeal being a result of a misunderstanding, Khemraj explained it was an experience that he would never forget.

Manish's brother Deshbandhu also mentioned that their whole village is full of Royal Challengers Bengaluru supporters, so talking to players such as Kohli and de Villiers was a dream for many of them. The calls generated a wave of enthusiasm in Madagaon, and even today, the family cannot believe that these talks actually took place. For them it was not only about talking to cricket icons but also about the tale they would get to tell for the rest of their lives.

Even though the SIM was later returned to Patidar, the recollection of those surprise mobile calls will remain with Manish and his friends until eternity. In a world where one only used to witness their cricket idols on television, to have a direct interaction with them was unthinkable.The event demonstrated how sometimes the most bizarre and thrilling events in life occur completely by chance.For Manish what began as a routine purchase became a remarkable turning point filled with delight astonishment and a hint of incredulity.