Chhattisgarh Villager Gets Surprise Calls from Virat Kohli & AB de Villiers After SIM Card Mix-Up

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Gariaband (Chhattisgarh), Aug 10: For one unsuspecting man from the small village of Madagaon in Chhattisgarh's Gariaband district, an ordinary SIM card purchase turned into a once-in-a-lifetime brush with cricketing royalty.

Twenty-something Manish Bisi found himself speaking to legends Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, and other cricketers - all because his newly activated Jio SIM once belonged to India batter Rajat Patidar.

Manish bought the SIM on June 28 from a shop in nearby Deobhog. While setting up WhatsApp, his friend Khemraj noticed the display picture was of Patidar, who captained Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in IPL 2025. Initially dismissing it as a glitch, the duo soon received calls from Kohli, de Villiers, and Yash Dayal. Thinking it was a prank, they even played along.

The truth hit home on July 15 when Patidar himself called, pleading for his number back and warning he might involve the police. Minutes later, a police team arrived, confirming the calls were genuine.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Neha Sinha explained that the SIM had been deactivated after 90 days of inactivity and reassigned as per telecom policy. "Manish was indeed getting calls from cricketers in Patidar's contact list. The number was returned with his consent, and there was no wrongdoing from anyone," she said.

For Manish and Khemraj, the surreal experience still feels like a dream. "I never imagined I'd talk to Virat Kohli from my village," Khemraj said, adding that he couldn't understand a word of AB de Villiers' English but was overjoyed nonetheless.

Deshbandhu Bisi, Manish's brother, summed up the sentiment in the village: "Even if it was a mix-up, people dream of seeing these players. We got to talk to them. It's pure luck."