NEW DELHI: What began as an ordinary mobile recharge turned into an extraordinary cricketing moment when a SIM card mishap connected 21-year-old Manish Bisi and his friend Khemraj to some of India’s most beloved cricketers.
On June 28, Manish bought a new Reliance Jio SIM from a local shop in Deobhog. Soon after activation, WhatsApp displayed the profile picture of Rajat Patidar, captain of Royal Challengers Bengaluru, something the teens dismissed as a quirky glitch.
Calls from Cricket Royalty
Surprise followed when Manish’s phone began receiving calls from international cricket stars:
- Virat Kohli
- AB de Villiers
- Yash Dayal
The callers, thinking they were reaching Patidar, were met with playful skepticism. Manish and Khemraj joked back, introducing themselves by names like MS Dhoni or Rohit Sharma, assuming the calls were pranks.
The turning point came on July 15, when Patidar himself called, politely requesting the return of “his SIM.” Still suspicious, Manish continued the charade until Patidar mentioned involving the police. Mere minutes later, officers from the Madhya Pradesh Cyber Cell and Gariaband police arrived. Manish handed over the SIM, unaware until then that he truly had accessed one of cricket’s most elusive contacts.
Behind the Glitch
Authorities clarified that telecom policy allows mobile numbers to be reassigned after 90 days of inactivity, which was the case with Patidar’s old number. The reassigned SIM found its way to Manish, turning a routine activation into a national talking point.
For cricket fans like Khemraj, who admitted to barely understanding AB de Villiers due to the language barrier, the experience was surreal. “I never imagined I would speak to Virat Kohli one day, and that too from our village,” he said. Describing it as “something out of a film,” the villagers now cherish the story.
From a seemingly mundane SIM purchase, Manish and Khemraj unwittingly experienced a moment few ever might, speaking directly to cricket legends. The glitch has become a heartwarming reminder that life’s most memorable chapters often begin in the most unexpected ways.
