The Indian cricket team management, head coach Gautam Gambhir at the helm, has implemented the Bronco Test as a new standard to gauge players' fitness. It is traditionally applied in rugby and football to determine a player's aerobic endurance and recovery capability. It is five shuttle runs of 20m, 40m, and 60m distances in succession without rest, 1,200m in all. The quicker a player finishes the test, the higher his or her fitness score. But the move has raised eyebrows after Manoj Tiwary, a former India cricketer, accused the test being taken up to oust senior batter Rohit Sharma from the team's long-term plans. Manoj Tiwary's Bold Claim In a Crictracker interview, Tiwary accused Gambhir's management of plotting to oust Rohit Sharma's spot in the ODI combination: "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 in the scheme of things because... See, I'm a very keen observer of what's going on in Indian cricket. And I believe this Bronco Test, which was introduced a few days back, is for players like Rohit Sharma and someone who I believe they don't want to be a part of the team in the future. And that's why it has been introduced." Also Read | Ex-NZ Star Urges Gambhir to Recall 31-Year-Old Allrounder for India’s Test Team Sharma, who has already retired from Tests and T20Is, plays only ODI cricket these days. Although he was supposed to captain India through to the 2027 ODI World Cup, there is increasing talk about his future, with reports speculating about retirement after the October Australia series. Tiwary also wondered at the timing of bringing in the Bronco Test: "You know, the Bronco Test will be one of the toughest fitness test parameters that 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." With the standards of fitness having been raised, it is yet to be seen whether Rohit Sharma can get to the new level or if this is a transition towards a younger squad before the next ICC Cricket World Cup.