Indian cricketer and Royal Challengers Bengaluru skipper Rajat Patidar found himself in an unusual predicament concerning his old mobile number, two Chhattisgarh cricket fans, and local police a few days ago. What started off as a simple telecom issue quickly spiraled into an amusing and slightly chaotic incident.
Number Reassigned After Inactivity
As reported by NDTV, Patidar’s old mobile number had previously been deactivated for non-use for more than 90 days. As per telecom guidelines, the number was then re-allocated by the service provider. A young adult, Manish, from the Gariaband district in the state of Chhattisgarh, became the new subscriber after activating the number with a Reliance Jio SIM in late June.
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Virat Kohli & AB de Villiers Caught In Mix-Up
Within minutes of activating the number, Manish and his friend Khemraj were taken aback by seeing the WhatsApp display picture was of the old owner Rajat Patidar. They were amused at first but confused when they started getting calls from top cricketers like Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers.
Not realizing the importance, the two friends brushed aside the incident as a prank or an unusual coincidence.
Patidar Intervenes, But Encounters Doubt
But the matter turned serious when Patidar himself dialed the number and asked to return back the sim. He clarified that the number was important to remain in touch with coaches, teammates, and individual contacts. However, Manish and Khemraj doubted his identity and jokingly replied , “And we’re MS Dhoni!”, convinced it was a prank.
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Police Gets Involved After Warning
Frustrated, Patidar warned the duo, “Okay, I’ll send the cops.” Within ten minutes, local police officers arrived at Manish’s house, confirming the seriousness of the matter. Once they understood the situation, the young men cooperated fully, handing over the SIM card to Patidar through the appropriate channels.
A Wrong Number Becomes a Dream Come True
Despite what happened, Khemraj also saw a silver lining in the whole saga and said “I got to speak to Kohli because of a wrong number. My life’s goal is complete,” he said
