Goa, Aug. 10 -- For most people, buying a new SIM card is a forgettable errand. But for 21-year-old Manish Bisi from Madagaon village in Gariaband, Chhattisgarh, it became an unforgettable brush with cricket royalty.

In late June, Manish visited a small mobile shop in Devbhog to get a fresh number. Unknown to him, that number had a high-profile past - it previously belonged to Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar.

The twist began when Manish, setting up WhatsApp with his friend Khemraj, noticed the account's profile photo was of Patidar. They didn't think much of it until phone calls started arriving from people introducing themselves as Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Yash Dayal and other RCB players.

For more than two weeks...