After a devastating series loss to New Zealand, the Indian squad faced heavy criticism and a push for strategic overhauls. But as the health crisis escalated, the threat of the flu forced a total shutdown of the international cricket calendar.
Ever since the whitewash series New Zealand against the Indian cricket team, the cricketers were being analysed and suggested with strategies. Now with the pandemic health crisis, every international match in the cricket season has rested due to the threat of the viral flu.
Led by Virat Kohli, India faced New Zealand in a full tour featuring five T20Is, three ODIs, and two Test matches. Although they came out on top in the T20s, they suffered total defeats in the remaining formats. The momentum shifted further when South Africa toured India for an ODI series; however, after the first match was abandoned, the rest of the series was cancelled due to the rising number of Covid-19 cases in India. This chaos resulted in the visiting team heading home and the March 2020 IPL season being scrubbed from the calendar.
India's head coach, Ravi Shastri, believes this interruption is exactly what the team needs. He admitted that by the end of the New Zealand tour, the squad was completely burnt out. Between the constant travel and the pressure of switching formats, Shastri noticed a dip in the players' energy and consistency. Looking back to the 2019 World Cup, he pointed out that the relentless schedule—including tours to South Africa and the Caribbean—left the athletes with almost no time to recuperate, making this unexpected rest essential for their recovery.