Has BCCI launched the Bronco Check to retire Rohit Sharma earlier than ODI World Cup 2027?

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) recently introduced the ‘Bronco Test‘. The fitness assessment test was brought out after several players, primarily fast bowlers, had issues relating to fitness during the India vs England Test series. The objective behind it was to maintain a high level of fitness and improve the aerobic capacity of players.

BCCI forcefully retiring Rohit Sharma?

But former Indian batter Manoj Tiwary thinks that the BCCI introduced it to ensure Rohit Sharma announces his retirement from cricket before the ODI World Cup 2027. Everyone realises that India’s 50-over captain isn’t the fittest cricketer, but such has been his performance that no one can bench him. Manoj thinks that’s why the Bronco Test is being introduced.

“I think it will be very difficult to keep Virat Kohli out of the plans for the 2027 World Cup. But I have a doubt that they are going to look at Rohit Sharma into the scheme of things because… See, I’m a very keen observer of what things are going on in Indian cricket. And I believe this Bronco Test, which was introduced a few days back, I think it is for players like Rohit Sharma and someone who I believe they don’t want to be part of the team in the future. And that’s why it has been introduced,” Manoj told CricTracker.

Who’s behind this move?

The batter from Bengal questions the time at which the fitness test has been introduced. Since Gautam Gambhir took over as India’s head coach in July, why has the Bronco Test been introduced now? Of course, the simple answer is that Adrian Le Roux, who’s the new strength and conditioning coach of Team India, joined in June and introduced it after coming on board.

“And you know, the Bronco Test will be one of the toughest fitness test parameters which has been introduced by Indian cricket. But the only question is, why now? Why not when your new head coach got the assignment from the very first series? Whose idea is it? Who introduced this? Who enforced this Bronco Test a few days back? So it is a question for which I don’t have an answer, but the observation says that it is going to be difficult for Rohit Sharma if he doesn’t work really hard on his fitness. And I think he will be stopped at the Bronco Test,” he added.

Deja vu

But Manoj doesn’t buy that. Much like how senior players got pushed out due to fitness standards after the 2011 ODI World Cup, he thinks something similar might be in place. Due to Virat Kohli‘s elite fitness, he won’t be questioned, but can Rohit survive the Bronco Test? Manoj doesn’t think so.

“I think it has been brought in, obviously, to set the fitness parameter at the highest level, but also, I believe it has been introduced to keep a few players out, like what happened when our Indian legends like Gambhir, Sehwag, Yuvraj, and others were doing really well. And after we became champions in 2011, the yo-yo test came into the forefront. So a lot of things go behind the same. And this is my observation. Let’s see what happens. The future will definitely give me answers,” Tiwary concluded.