Man Receives Calls From Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers After SIM Mix-up With RCB Skipper

A routine SIM purchase turned into a once-in-a-lifetime experience for Manish Bisi from Madagaon village in Chhattisgarh's Gariaband district when he unexpectedly began receiving calls from cricket icons Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers.

The bizarre incident stemmed from a number reassignment: the SIM card Manish bought from a local shop had previously belonged to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) captain Rajat Patidar. At first, Manish and his friend Khemraj assumed it was a simple WhatsApp glitch when they saw Patidar's profile photo linked to the number. But soon, calls from well-known cricketers began flooding in.

Initially thinking it was a prank, the duo realised the situation's seriousness when Patidar himself phoned on July 15, asking for the number's return. Later, police officers visited to help sort out the matter.

Khemraj, however, was over the moon. "I never imagined I'd speak to Virat Kohli one day - and that too from our village! When AB de Villiers called, he spoke in English. We didn't understand much, but we were thrilled," he told PTI.

The entire village joined in the excitement, with many being die-hard RCB fans. Manish's brother Deshbandhu said, "People dream of just seeing them; we actually got to speak to them. It still feels like a dream."

Gariaband DSP Neha Sinha clarified that there was no wrongdoing. The number had been deactivated after 90 days of inactivity and reassigned as per telecom policy. With Manish's consent, the SIM was returned to Patidar, ending the saga on a friendly note.