India, Dec. 5 -- A pair of Virat Kohli centuries has transformed what was shaping up to be a lukewarm One-Day International in Vizag into one of the hottest tickets in the country, triggering an extraordinary surge in demand that the Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) says it has rarely witnessed.

The initial sale of tickets for the third ODI between India and South Africa - scheduled for Sunday - drew little interest when the first phase went live on November 28. With the series struggling to grip public attention, officials even considered opening physical counters after going fully digital this time.

Everything changed the moment Kohli struck back-to-back hundreds in Ranchi and Raipur on November 30 and December 3. The ACA says the tur...