The back ot back centuries of Virat Kohli have completely flipped the mood around the upcoming One-Day International in Visakhapatnam, turning what looked like a quiet fixture into one of the most sought-after matches in the country. The Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) says the demand it has witnessed over the past few days is unlike anything it has seen in a long time.
When ticket sales for the third ODI between India and South Africa opened on November 28, the response was mostly okay at best. With the series failing to capture public imagination, officials even toyed with the idea of reopening physical counters after opting for an entirely digital system this time.
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But everything shifted just after the moment Kohli knocked consecutive hundreds in Ranchi and Raipur on November 30 and December 3. The surge was immediate, the ACA says.
“The first phase of tickets went on sale on November 28. The response wasn’t good,” Y. Venkatesh from the ACA’s Media and Operations team told The Indian Express.
He added, “But after Kohli’s hundred at Ranchi, the second and third phases vanished in minutes. Nothing was left unsold.”
Tickets sold out
Even ticket prices between ₹1,200 and ₹18,000 didn’t temper the rush. Fans poured into the ticketing platform the moment the former India captain rediscovered his dominant rhythm in the ODI format. A lot of the buzz stems from Kohli’s exceptional record in Visakhapatnam, where he averages 97.83 across seven ODIs, with three centuries, a 99, and a 65.
The excitement has spilt far beyond the stadium. Two days before the game, Vizag airport was packed with eager supporters who arrived hours early, hoping to welcome the Indian team. They stayed put through repeated flight delays from Raipur, with security staff fielding the same question non-stop: “When are they landing?”
Kohli’s loyal fans refused to budge even as the wait grew longer. When the flight finally took off from Raipur around 6 pm, it sparked yet another wave of anticipation across Vizag.
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Earlier in the day, Raipur Airport had its own chaos. Passengers locked in heated arguments with airline staff reportedly froze the moment the Indian players appeared. As Kohli and the squad stepped onto the escalator, the terminal burst into cheers, phones shot up in the air, and for a few seconds, all frustrations vanished, only to return just as quickly once the team moved on. It was a perfect snapshot of how deeply Indian cricketers influence public emotion.
By the time the team reached Vizag on Thursday night, the frenzy had only grown louder. All signs now point to a packed Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Stadium, with Kohli once again at the centre of the storm.
