After Yash Dayal, Rajat Patidar gets involved in police case; Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers dragged in

A small grocery shop in Madagaon Devbhog, Chhattisgarh, found itself at the centre of a strange cricket story when calls meant for RCB captain Rajat Patidar reached its owner. The mix-up over Patidar’s old phone number gained attention after two local fans kept calling, prompting him to contact the police.

Rajat Patidar was retained by Royal Challengers Bengaluru for ₹11 crore ahead of the 2025 season. The middle-order batter took over the captaincy and proved his skills in his first season as skipper. Notably, the 32-year-old guided RCB to their first-ever IPL title, ending the team’s 18-year quest for the trophy.

Wrong Number Leads Chhattisgarh Teen to Cricketers’ Contact List

In late June, a boy named Manish from Chhattisgarh’s Gariaband district purchased a new Reliance Jio SIM card from a local shop, according to NDTV. The number had been deactivated by the telecom provider after remaining unused for over 90 days and was earlier registered to cricketer Rajat Patidar.

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Once activated, the number still displayed Patidar’s photograph as the WhatsApp profile picture. Manish and his friend Khemraj didn’t think much of it, unaware that they had stumbled into a humorous situation connecting them to the contact lists of some of India’s biggest cricket names.

That Number Is Mine, Please Return It - Rajat Patidar

Manish’s newly activated phone number began receiving calls from some of cricket’s biggest names, including Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers. The Chhattisgarh youngster and his friend Khemraj found the situation amusing.

On July 15, the incident took an unexpected turn when Patidar himself contacted Manish. Patidar stated that the number is important for communicating with his coaches, teammates, and close associates.

“Bhai, I’m Rajat Patidar. That number is mine, please return it," the RCB skipper told the two friends.

“And we’re MS Dhoni," they replied.

However, Manish and Khemraj responded in jest, refusing to believe the caller was truly the RCB captain. The mix-up, which began with a simple SIM card purchase, had now drawn direct involvement from Patidar and showed how a reassigned number could spark a comedy of errors.

Okay, I’ll Send the Cops - Rajat Patidar

Rajat Patidar had to approach the police when Manish and Khemraj refused to cooperate. Patidar warned, “Okay, I’ll send the cops.”

Officers arrived at Manish’s home within ten minutes, prompting the two friends to hand over the SIM card. The incident left Khemraj amused, calling it a dream come true as it had given him a chance to speak to Virat Kohli because of a wrong number.

“I got to speak to Kohli because of a wrong number. My life’s goal is complete,” Khemraj told the TV channel.

In the 2025 IPL season, Patidar scored 312 runs in 15 matches at an average of 24 and a strike rate of 143.78, including two half-centuries. He was the third-highest run-getter for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, behind Virat Kohli (657) and Phil Salt (403).

Also read: Ravichandran Ashwin shockingly leaves CSK and breaks news straight to MS Dhoni