Virat Kohli said, 'Why are you…'; de Villiers spoke in…: Chhattisgarh youth's chat with RCB legends amid sim-card drama
It all happened after a SIM card used by Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) captain Rajat Patidar came alive after being reactivated by the service provider.
According to news agency PTI, Manish, son of farmer Gajendra Bisi, purchased a new Jio SIM from a mobile shop in Deobhog on June 28. As soon as WhatsApp was set up using the new SIM, the display picture was of Rajat Patidar.
Manish and Khemraj initially dismissed the proceedings as a glitch. However, soon, the room for all jokes disappeared as the duo started receiving calls from Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers and Yash Dayal.
Speaking to news agency PTI, Khemraj, who is an ardent Kohli fan, said he was ecstatic to hear the voice of AB de Villiers despite not understanding a word he said as the former South Africa captain spoke in English.
He also said that Virat Kohli and Yash Dayal asked him why he was using Rajat Patidar's number.
Also Read: Rajat Patidar forced to call police on Chhattisgarh boy; Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers caught in bizarre mix-up
"I never imagined I would speak to Virat Kohli one day, and that too from our village. When AB de Villiers called, he spoke in English. We couldn't understand a word, but we were so thrilled," he said.
"When Manish used to get calls, he would hand over the phone to me. The callers who identified themselves as Virat Kohli and Yash Dayal asked us why we were using Patidar's number. We explained to them we had bought a new SIM and this is our number," he added.
Role of Rajat Patidar
On July 15, Rajat Patidar also called the said individuals, asking them to return his SIM. When the RCB captain called, Manish and Khemraj believed it to be a joke. However, they soon realised the seriousness of the matter when Patidar threatened to send the police to resolve the matter.
Gariaband Deputy Superintendent of Police Neha Sinha later clarified that the SIM was deactivated after 90 days as per telecom policy and then reassigned to a new customer, Manish.
"Manish was actually getting calls from cricketers who were in contact with Rajat Patidar. Patidar informed the Madhya Pradesh Cyber Cell that his number had been allotted to someone else and requested to have it back," she was quoted as saying by PTI.
The SIM card drama might be too hard to believe, but Manish and Khemraj are not complaining. Their lifelong dream of speaking to Virat Kohli came true.
'Even if it was all due to a mix-up, these conversations happened out of sheer luck. People just dream of seeing them, we got to speak to them,' Manish's brother Deshbandhu Bisi said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
a few seconds ago
- Hindustan Times
Police vehicles damaged, stones pelted as rape of 8-yr-old sparks protest in Udaipur village
In Udaipur, Rajasthan, the rape of an eight-year-old girl sparked violent protests on Monday, with locals damaging police vehicles, pelting stones, vandalising buses, and blocking roads. Police arrested the accused on Monday morning after tracking him via CCTV footage, following his attempt to flee.(PTI file) Personnel from three police stations were deployed to control the escalating situation, according to The Indian Express report. The assault occurred on Sunday evening when the girl, who usually accompanies her mother to an agricultural field, went alone to a nearby field. The accused, Ramlal, allegedly took her to a bush and raped her. After returning home and informing her family, the girl was rushed to Maharana Bhupal government hospital. A case was registered at Dabok police station under the POCSO Act. Police arrested Ramlal on Monday morning after tracking him via CCTV footage, following his attempt to flee. However, enraged villagers gathered outside the police station, demanding action. Tensions escalated when a rumour spread that the girl had died during treatment. A police source was quoted as saying, 'This agitated the crowd, and they pelted stones at police personnel and set fire to around 10 police vehicles. The crowd got agitated and started vandalising buses passing through a nearby road and then blocked the road.' SP Yogesh Goyal and other officers arrived to manage the unrest. Additional SP Anjna Sukhwal confirmed that police conducted overnight raids to apprehend the accused. She added that some youths involved in the stone-pelting have been identified, and a case for obstructing public work has been filed against them. 6-yr-old girl raped, murdered by uncle in Dungarpur In a separate incident in Rajasthan's Dungarpur, a six-year-old girl was raped and murdered by her uncle on August 4, police reported. Aspur Deputy Superintendent of Police, Hanuwant Singh Bhati, stated on August 5, 'The incident happened in the district's Nithuwa police station. The victim's body was found near a pond following which police started an investigation that revealed that she was raped by her uncle before the murder. We have also detained the accused on August 5.' According to authorities, the girl had gone to a nearby location to study on Monday morning and subsequently went missing. Bhati explained, 'She was later found dead near a pond a few hours later by her parents. She was immediately rushed to the hospital where it was revealed that she was also raped before the murder.' A forensics team was dispatched to examine the scene, and police from Nithuwa, Aspur, Sagwara, and Dungarpur stations were deployed in the area. Bhati added, 'Prima facie, her uncle, under the influence of alcohol, abducted her when she was returning home after her study cycle was over. He took her near the pond, raped her, and then killed her by hitting a stone at her head. He was absconding since then.' The accused was apprehended on August 5.
News18
9 minutes ago
- News18
NYCs longest-running public dance festival to mark Indian Independence Day
New York, Aug 12 (PTI) New York city's longest-running public dance festival will commemorate India's Independence Day on August 15 by hosting an array of cultural performances focusing on the essence of 'Shakti' — the female divine energy. The 44th Annual Battery Dance Festival, which brings together diverse dance companies from around the world, will run from August 12-16. On August 15, marking India's Independence Day, the festival will host 'India Day,' a showcase of 'Shakti – Divine Energy,' a mixed programme featuring dance and cultural performances by global artists, paying homage to the female essence and creativity. 'The last two years we had a very strong focus on 'Purush', male dancers, and this year we have switched it around and we will have a strong focus on 'Shakti, divine energy," Founder and artistic director of Battery Dance Jonathan Hollander told PTI in an interview. The specially curated day will have seven different groups which will offer their 'creative take on the essence of the feminine principle in creativity and in life itself. It's a really important theme for today's world, where there's so much conflict, fracture and unknowns," Hollander said. 'Mother and the female essence is something that we all can relate to", at times like these, he said. The India Day Programme is supported through grants from the Consulate General of India in New York and the State Bank of India, New York. It will feature the Nandanik Dance Troupe from Pittsburgh with choreographer and soloist Subhajit Khush Das from Kolkata in a new production on the Goddess Kali. Other works that will pay tribute to the female essence will be by choreographers Bijayini Satpathy, Maya Kulkarni, Lada Pada, Sonali Skandan, Swathi Gundapuneedi-Atluri, Subhajit Khush Das, Renjith Babu and Malini Srinivasan for dancers and dance companies from Kolkata, Pittsburgh, New Jersey and New York in the styles of Odissi, Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, Kathakali, and Uday Shankar. Emphasising the theme of the 'India Day' performances, Hollander said that on a political and social level, women's rights and respect for women and the way 'we all relate to the women in our lives, this is something that can never have too much attention." With artists from across India and the US coming together for various performances, he underscored that this speaks to the highly skilled and creative diaspora of the Indian culture in North America. The Battery Dance Festival is New York City's longest-running free public dance festival, drawing a combined audience of over 12,000 in-person and over 10,000 virtual viewers every year. 'We are all seeking a moment of refreshing ourselves, refreshing our minds," Hollander said, speaking about the message of the festival. With people consumed with the news every day, many are left wondering, 'What is the next crisis or what is the next horror that we're going to see and feel?" he said. 'And when you're sitting at the park, in a community of people that many of whom you don't know, and you are shoulder to shoulder with people of all cultures, ethnicities, ages, I think there's a sense of celebrating human nature and celebrating what we have in common," he added. PTI YAS GRS GRS GRS view comments First Published: August 12, 2025, 09:15 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
News18
24 minutes ago
- News18
I-Day Security: CISF Asks Commuters to Reach Airports, Delhi Metro Stations Well in Advance
The CISF, a senior officer told PTI, has stepped up vigil at these facilities with the deployment of enhanced manpower in uniform and intelligence staff in civil clothes. The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) on Monday said security measures at Delhi Metro stations and all airports under its cover in the country have been intensified and commuters should reach these facilities 'well in advance" as security checks may take time. The central force issued an 'important security advisory" over its social media handles saying these measures were being undertaken in view of the Independence Day celebrations on August 15. The CISF guards 69 civil airports across the country and the entire network of the Delhi Metro that runs across the National Capital Region including Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram and Faridabad. The force said passengers reaching these public facilities should arrive 'well in advance, as security checks may take longer than usual". It asked the commuters to 'stay safe, stay alert and travel responsibly". 'Be vigilant, stay alert and immediately report if any unattended items and suspicious activity noticed to CISF personnel or Delhi Metro/airport staff," it said. Central security and intelligence agencies apart from aviation security watchdog Bureau of Civil Aviation (BCAS) had recently issued 'alerts" for these two modes of public transport in the country following inputs of potential threats. The CISF, a senior officer told PTI, has stepped up vigil at these facilities with the deployment of enhanced manpower in uniform and intelligence staff in civil clothes. . view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
