Chinmay Sutar has written his name into the Ranji Trophy record books. The 29-year-old Mizoram batter scored an unbeaten 400 against Nagaland in the Plate Division. It is only the second time a player has crossed 400 in the tournament's history. A Marathon Innings
Sutar batted for 517 balls and hit 46 fours and seven sixes. His knock helped Mizoram post a huge 581 for 9 before they declared.The innings looked very different at one stage.
Mizoram were 392 for 9 and close to being bowled out. Sutar then built an unbroken 189-run partnership for the last wicket with Lalrempuia Chhakchhuak, who finished on 14 not out.
Sutar scored almost all of those runs himself. He farmed the strike well and took Mizoram to a commanding total.
Second Only to Nimbalkar
The only bigger score in Ranji Trophy history is BB Nimbalkar's 443 not out. He made it for Maharashtra against Kathiawar in 1948-49. Sutar's 400* now sits second on that list, ahead of Prithvi Shaw's 379 for Mumbai against Assam in 2022-23.
Sutar has also joined a small group of players worldwide who have scored a quadruple century in first-class cricket. That list includes Brian Lara, Hanif Mohammad and Don Bradman. He is only the second Indian to reach the mark.
From 99 to 400 in Eight Days
The most remarkable part of the story is how new Sutar is to first-class cricket. The Mumbai native moved to Mizoram after getting a no-objection certificate. He made his debut on October 11 against Manipur, at the age of 29, and was run out for 99, just one run short of a debut hundred.
Eight days later, in only his second match, he scored 400 not out. Sutar said the achievement "feels like a dream." He explained that Mizoram had called him for trials and that leaving Mumbai was a tough decision. He added that he always believed he could score runs at any level.
Praise from the Cricket World on Chinmay Suthar's 400
Former India opener Shikhar Dhawan congratulated Chinmay Sutar and called it an amazing start to his first-class career. Priyank Panchal praised his patience and said batting for over 500 balls is a rare skill in today's cricket.After nearly missing out on a debut century, Sutar has made sure his second match will be remembered for a long time
