Indian batter Rajat Patidar recently found himself at the centre of an unusual episode involving his old mobile number, two cricket fans from Chhattisgarh, and local law enforcement. What initially appeared to be a routine telecom matter quickly escalated into an intriguing story, which forced the Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain to seek help from the local police.
According to a report from NDTV, Patidar’s former mobile number had been inactive for over 90 days, leading his telecom provider to deactivate and subsequently reassign it. The number was purchased by a teenager named Manish, from the Gariaband district of Chhattisgarh, who activated it with a Reliance Jio SIM card in late June. Shortly after activation, Manish and his friend Khemraj noticed Patidar’s photograph appearing as the WhatsApp profile image for the new number, a vestige of the number’s previous ownership.
Soon after, the phone began receiving calls from prominent figures within the cricketing community, including Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers, who were attempting to contact Patidar. Though initially baffled, Manish and Khemraj found humour in the situation, unaware of the number’s significance.
The situation became more serious when Patidar himself contacted Manish to reclaim his old number. Patidar explained the importance of the number as a vital connection to his coaches, teammates, and personal contacts. However, the young men remained sceptical, humorously replying, “And we’re MS Dhoni,” refusing to believe it was truly Patidar on the line.
Faced with disbelief, Patidar reportedly warned, “Okay, I’ll send the cops,” a threat that quickly escalated the matter. Within ten minutes, the local police arrived at Manish’s residence to mediate the situation. Realising the gravity, Manish and Khemraj cooperated fully, returning the SIM card to its rightful owner.
A dream come true
Reflecting on the incident, Khemraj described the experience as a dream come true: “I got to speak to Kohli because of a wrong number. My life’s goal is complete,” he told the TV channel.
Patidar enjoyed a career-high in June earlier this year when he led the RCB to their maiden Indian Premier League title in his first season as the side’s captain. The team defeated Punjab Kings in the final.