IND vs SA 3rd ODI: Would the match have flopped in Vizag? Know how a news about Virat Kohli started a race for tickets

News India Live, Digital Desk: We all know that cricket is a religion in India, but would you believe that such an international match was going to be held in India itself for which spectators were not available? Yes, it sounds a bit strange, but the story of the third ODI match of India vs South Africa (India vs South Africa 3rd ODI) to be held in Visakhapatnam (Vizag) had started like this. Everything was going well in this series of December 2025, but the sale of tickets for the Vizag match was so cold that the organizers were losing their sweat. If reports are to be believed, the fans were not showing much enthusiasm. Perhaps people were getting bored with the ODI format or the impact of the match result had worn off. The fear of the stadium’s seats remaining empty was troubling. And then ‘The Virat Effect’ happened. As soon as the news spread and an atmosphere was created that ‘run machine’ Virat Kohli was going to spread his magic on this ground, the scene changed completely. It is said that the stature of some players becomes bigger than the game. Same thing happened with Virat. The ticket counter which was silent till yesterday, suddenly formed long queues (virtual and physical). The fans were not much concerned with the win or loss of the match, they just wanted to see their hero hit a cover drive on the field. Unsold tickets became hot property. The news is that Virat Kohli’s popularity breathed life into this ‘boring’ match. Within no time the tickets started selling rapidly. The organizers who were afraid that the pictures of the empty stadium might go around the world, are now expecting a full house. People on social media are calling it “King Kohli’s magic”. This incident proves that even though new stars are coming, the madness of seeing Virat Kohli still speaks to the Indian fans. If you are also around Vizag and have not got the ticket, then understand who is behind this! Indeed, the lion may grow old, but his prey does not change. Virat is still the biggest star of the box office.