For most people, buying a new SIM card is a forgettable errand. But for 21-year-old Manish Bisi from Madagaon village in Gariaband, Chhattisgarh, it became an unforgettable brush with cricket royalty.
In late June, Manish visited a small mobile shop in Devbhog to get a fresh number. Unknown to him, that number had a high-profile past — it previously belonged to Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar.
The twist began when Manish, setting up WhatsApp with his friend Khemraj, noticed the account’s profile photo was of Patidar. They didn’t think much of it until phone calls started arriving from people introducing themselves as Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Yash Dayal and other RCB players.
For more than two weeks, the two friends played along, amused by the strange attention. Meanwhile, Patidar was puzzled after losing access to his WhatsApp and turned to the Madhya Pradesh Cyber Cell for help.
The investigation quickly traced the number to Manish. Gariaband Superintendent of Police Nikhil Rakhecha explained the cause: telecom companies often reassign numbers that have been inactive for over six months. The SIM has since been returned to Patidar.
Patidar, who recently guided RCB to their maiden IPL championship, is admired for his calm leadership and clutch performances. For Manish and Khemraj, however, the story is now part of their personal legend.
“It felt unreal at the time,” they told friends. “Now, it’s just a great story to tell.”