‘Hello, mei Virat bol raha hun...’: Call from Kohli leaves Chhattisgarh youth dazed; police later collect VIP SIM, return it to Rajat Patidar

RAIPUR: Hello, mei Virat bol raha hun (Hello, I am Virat here)...A youth from a non-descript village in Chhattisgarh is besieged with calls from cricket fans and celebrities like Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers. The issue is that the Gariabandh youth has been allotted a mobile number used by international cricketer and RCB captain Rajat Patidar owing to a technical glitch.Manish Bisi, 21, a resident of Madagaon village, began receiving calls from Kohli, Yash Dayal, and de Villiers after the number, which had been inactive for nearly six months, was re-assigned to him in a routine process, said Gariaband superintendent of police Nikhil Rakhecha.The number, a WhatsApp account, had likely been unused for over six months, and according to company rules, was re-allocated to another customer, potentially leading to its assignment to the Devbhog youth.

"We have now returned the number to cricketer Rajat Patidar," the SP said.Manish, an avid fan of Virat Kohli, purchased a new SIM card from a mobile shop in Devbhog during the last week of June and was allotted the number used by Rajat. His friend, Khemraj Bisi, assisted him in installing WhatsApp on the new number a week later. While configuring the WhatsApp, the profile picture automatically displayed Rajat Patidar's photo, which the youths initially dismissed as a software glitch.

Subsequently, Manish started receiving calls from unknown numbers.CG youths expressed hope of meeting Patidar in person Subsequently, Manish started receiving calls from unknown numbers, with callers introducing themselves as various cricketers attempting to reach Rajat Patidar and addressing the youths by his name. Assuming it was a prank, the youths engaged with the callers in a light-hearted manner for about a fortnight.The situation took a new turn when Rajat Patidar, unable to use his old number, contacted the Madhya Pradesh Cyber Cell.

The Madhya Pradesh police then liaised with Gariaband police to rectify the issue. A police team visited the village and requested Manish to return the SIM card, which has since been sent to Patidar's address.The youths expressed hope of meeting Rajat Patidar in person, describing the incident as an unforgettable experience. The Devbhog station house officer stated that the SIM card was sent to the cricketer by post.Cricketer Rajat Patidar plays for MP in domestic cricket."The Devbhog police came to us and asked for the SIM card back, saying it belonged to a VIP. We returned it to them," Khemraj said."One day, a call was received from another number. The caller identified himself as Rajat Patidar. We took this call as a joke, just like we had done with the earlier ones. Rajat kept requesting SIM back, but we continued to make fun of him. Then he said, 'I'll send the police,' and about 10 mins later, the police arrived," Khemraj said. tnn