Indian cricketer Rajat Patidar found himself in an unexpected situation involving an old mobile number, two cricket fans from Chhattisgarh, and the local police. The situation began as a simple telecom issue but quickly escalated into an amusing and slightly chaotic incident.
Patidar’s old mobile number had been inactive for over 90 days and was subsequently reallocated according to telecom regulations. Manish, a young man from the Gariaband district in Chhattisgarh, became the new subscriber after activating the number with a Reliance Jio SIM in late June.
Shortly after activation, Manish and his friend Khemraj were surprised to see Rajat Patidar’s WhatsApp display picture. They were initially amused, but confusion arose when they started receiving calls from prominent cricketers like Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers.
Unaware of the significance, the two friends dismissed the calls as a prank or an unusual coincidence.
The matter became serious when Patidar himself called the number, requesting the return of the SIM. He explained that the number was crucial for staying in contact with coaches, teammates, and other personal contacts. However, Manish and Khemraj doubted his identity and jokingly responded, “And we’re MS Dhoni!”, convinced it was a prank.
Frustrated, Patidar warned the duo that he would involve the police. Within ten minutes, local police officers arrived at Manish’s house, confirming the seriousness of the situation. Once they understood the situation, the young men fully cooperated, handing over the SIM card to Patidar through the proper channels.
Despite the circumstances, Khemraj saw a positive side to the situation, saying, “I got to speak to Kohli because of a wrong number. My life’s goal is complete.”