A truly bizarre and heart-warming tale has emerged from a small village in Chhattisgarh, creating an unforgettable memory for two young cricket fans and providing a unique glimpse into the interconnected, yet often chaotic, world of modern telecommunications. A simple SIM card mix-up involving Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) captain Rajat Patidar led to a surreal chain of events, with a couple of fans finding themselves on the phone with none other than cricketing legends Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers.

The unbelievable tale of a recycled SIM card and connection with Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers and Rajat Patidar

The improbable story began on June 28 when a young man named Manish from Chhattisgarh’s Gariaband district purchased a new Jio SIM card from a local shop. As is standard practice, the number, which had been inactive for 90 days, was recycled and reassigned to a new customer. Unbeknownst to Manish, the number had previously belonged to RCB captain Patidar. The mix-up became apparent when Manish‘s friend, Khemraj, helped him set up WhatsApp, and Patidar’s photo appeared on the new profile.

What followed was a series of phone calls that seemed almost too incredible to be true. As cricketers tried to reach Patidar, Manish and Khemraj found themselves fielding calls from the likes of Kohli and De Villiers. Initially thinking it was a prank, the two friends comically introduced themselves as “MS Dhoni,” and they were thrilled when they realized it was indeed their heroes on the other end of the line, even if they couldn’t understand De Villiers’ English.

The matter was eventually resolved when Patidar himself called on July 15 and, after explaining the importance of his professional contacts tied to the number, sought assistance from the Madhya Pradesh Cyber Cell. Police officials confirmed that there was “no legal issue or fault on anyone’s part,” and with the full consent of Manish and his family, the SIM card was returned to its rightful owner.

“The Devbhog police came to us and asked for the SIM card back, saying it belonged to a VIP. We returned it to them. One day, a call was received from another number. The caller identified himself as Rajat Patidar. We took this call as a joke, just like we had done with the earlier ones. Rajat kept requesting SIM back, but we continued to make fun of him. Then he said, ‘I’ll send the police,’ and about 10 mins later, the police arrived,” Khemraj was quoted as saying by The Times of India.

Also READ: Fans react in disbelief as Virat Kohli spotted with unrecognizable new look in London

A dream fulfilled and a triumphant IPL 2025 season for RCB skipper

For the two fans at the heart of this story, the brief and accidental contact with their idols was a dream come true. Khemraj, a devoted fan of Kohli, was particularly ecstatic.

“Talking to legends like Kohli and de Villiers is something we can’t describe. Even if it happened because of a mix-up, we were lucky. People just dream of seeing them, but we got to speak to them,” Manish’s brother, Deshbandhu Bisi was quoted as saying by the Hindustan Times.  The emotional reaction from the community further highlighted the significance of the event, with Manish’s brother stating that the villagers, many of whom are fervent RCB fans, were overjoyed by the sheer luck of the situation.

This episode of serendipity comes on the heels of a career-defining season for the man at its center, Rajat Patidar. In the IPL 2025 season, Patidar not only took over the captaincy of Royal Challengers Bengaluru but also led them to their inaugural IPL title. In a landmark season, the 32-year-old finished with a commendable 312 runs in 15 matches, all while successfully breaking the franchise’s long-standing jinx and cementing his place in the team’s history. The incident serves as a perfect bookend to his triumphant season, blending the surreal joy of a fan with the ultimate professional success of a player.

Also READ: Cricket icon MS Dhoni reveals 3 unique off-field qualities of Virat Kohli; video goes viral