“I thought, why is he asking Virat's number?” - R Ashwin reveals Rajat Patidar-like encounter with fraudster

Days after RCB captain Rajat Patidar found himself in a bizarre chain of events, legendary spinner R Ashwin shared an encounter with a fraudster regarding a number exchange after the IPL 2025 season. The 38-year-old said an imposter claimed to be his CSK teammate Devon Conway and asked for Virat Kohli’s number. The all-rounder shared how he handled the matter smartly.

Ashwin added that he became aware of the suspicious activity when the imposter asked him for more numbers, particularly of MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma. The off-spinner revealed that he cross-checked the fraudster with a tricky question, and the imposter fell prey to his tactical genius.

On Monday, August 11, Ashwin said on his YouTube channel named 'Ash Ki Baat':

“12:44 – After the IPL got over, one guy messaged me claiming to be Devon Conway, ‘Hi buddy, how are you?’ and I also responded that we’ll stay in touch. You’re playing in MLC; I’ll watch the games and all that talk. He then asked, ‘I’ve missed Virat Kohli’s number, can you share Virat’s number?’ I thought Why is he asking Virat’s number. I thought I should ask him, but I didn’t want Devon Conway to misunderstand. Then I picked Virat Kohli’s card and gave him a different number.”

“13:13 - Once I shared it, he replied, “I’ve lost a few more numbers.’ I asked him whose numbers, he responded, 'Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni.’ I got suspicious and then asked him a question, ‘I gave you a bat this year, how’s that bat?’. He said the bat is amazing, and I’ve not even gave him any bat, he lied and I blocked him instantly,” Ashwin added about the encounter.

Rajat Patidar lost access to his number; fan receives calls from Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers – Reports

R Ashwin’s startling revelation came days after a report went viral that RCB captain Rajat Patidar lost access to his old mobile number. The report added that a boy named Manish from the Gariaband district of Chhattisgarh ended up receiving calls from players Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers.

Notably, Patidar’s old number was allotted to the new user after being inactive for 90 days. After purchasing the new SIM card, Manish and his friend Khemraj noticed Patidar’s image on the WhatsApp profile picture. However, he refused to believe Patidar when he reached out to the new user. The local police then handled the situation, and the SIM was returned to the cricketer after Manish cooperated with the cops.