In a bizarre turn of events, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) captain Rajat Patidar found himself entangled in an unusual situation after his old mobile number was reassigned to someone else. What initially seemed like a routine telecom issue quickly spiraled into an unexpected series of events, ultimately prompting the Indian batter to involve the police.
According to a report by NDTV, Patidar’s previous number had remained inactive for over 90 days. Following standard telecom policy, his service provider deactivated and reassigned the number to a new user. The number was then purchased by a teenager named Manish from Gariaband district in Chhattisgarh, who activated it with a Reliance Jio SIM card in late June. Shortly after activation, Manish and his friend Khemraj noticed something odd, the WhatsApp profile linked to the number displayed a photo of Rajat Patidar himself.
Calls from Kohli and ABD Confuse New Owner
Things took a stranger turn when the phone began receiving calls from none other than cricketing legends Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers. Both players, unaware of the number change, believed they were contacting Patidar directly. Initially, the two young men found the entire situation amusing and assumed it was either a prank or some kind of mix-up.
Patidar Responds But They Thought It Was a Joke
When Patidar learned what was happening, he tried to resolve the issue by personally contacting Manish to request the return of his former number. He explained that the number held numerous important contacts coaches, teammates, and fellow cricketers. However, the response he received was far from cooperative. Manish jokingly replied, “And we’re MS Dhoni”, clearly not believing that the real Rajat Patidar was on the line.
Frustrated by the lack of seriousness, the 30-year-old batter warned them, “Okay, I’ll send the cop.” In a matter of ten minutes, local police officers showed up at Manish’s residence, escalating the situation significantly.
Police Get Involved, Boys Cooperate
Once the police clarified the gravity of the situation, Manish and his friend Khemraj quickly realized it wasn’t a joke. They cooperated fully and handed over the SIM card without resistance.
A Mix-Up Turns Into a Once-in-a-Lifetime Moment
Looking back on the experience, Khemraj described it as surreal something he never imagined happening to him.
“I got to speak to Kohli because of a wrong number. My life’s goal is complete,” he said.
Earlier this year, Rajat Patidar made headlines by leading Royal Challengers Bengaluru to their first-ever Indian Premier League (IPL) title, ending an 18-year-long wait. In his debut season as captain, Patidar played a crucial role in steering the team to a historic triumph.