Mizoram batter Chinmay Sutar has achieved a rare milestone in Indian domestic cricket, scoring an unbeaten 400 against Nagaland in the Ranji Trophy to become only the second Indian batter to reach the 400-run mark in a single innings in the competition’s history.
The 29-year-old produced the remarkable innings on the second day of the Plate Group fixture in Sovima, Nagaland. His performance helped Mizoram declare their first innings at 581 for nine, giving the side a substantial total built around one of the most extraordinary individual efforts in the tournament’s long history.
Sutar faced 517 deliveries and struck 46 fours and seven sixes. He reached 400 in the 155th over, underlining the patience and concentration required to sustain such a long innings in first-class cricket. His achievement also took him past Prithvi Shaw’s previous Ranji Trophy individual score of 379, placing him second on the competition’s all-time list.
The record for the highest individual score, however, remains untouched. Maharashtra’s Bhausaheb Nimbalkar scored an unbeaten 443 against Kathiawar during the 1948–49 season. That innings has stood as the Ranji Trophy record for more than 77 years. Sutar’s performance has brought another four-century to the competition, but he fell short of Nimbalkar’s historic mark.
A remarkable final-wicket partnership
One of the defining features of Sutar’s innings was his contribution to Mizoram’s tenth-wicket stand. He was unbeaten on 231 when Lalrempuia Chawngthu joined him at the crease, with the team’s total at 392.
The pair added approximately 190 runs for the final wicket, with Sutar scoring the overwhelming majority of the partnership’s runs. Chawngthu remained unbeaten on 14 as Mizoram moved beyond 500 and eventually reached 581 for nine before declaring.
In first-class cricket, a substantial final-wicket partnership can transform an innings. With no further batters available after the last wicket falls, the established batter must balance the need to protect the remaining partner with the opportunity to keep the scoreboard moving. Sutar managed that challenge impressively, continuing to accumulate runs even as the innings approached its conclusion.
The stand also ensured that Mizoram finished with a commanding first-innings total. Sutar’s achievement was therefore not merely a personal milestone; his prolonged stay at the crease played a central role in shaping his team’s position in the match.
Nimbalkar’s long-standing record survives
Reaching 400 in a first-class innings is an exceptional feat, even in a format that allows batters time to build substantial scores. Sutar’s accomplishment is particularly notable in the context of the Ranji Trophy, one of India’s most established domestic cricket competitions.
Before Sutar, Nimbalkar was the only Indian batter to have scored at least 400 in a single Ranji Trophy innings. His unbeaten 443 for Maharashtra against Kathiawar in the 1948–49 season remains the tournament’s highest individual score.
Sutar has now surpassed Shaw’s 379, but Nimbalkar’s record continues to set the benchmark. The gap between the two achievements illustrates just how difficult it is to produce an innings of this scale. Such scores demand sustained concentration, sound judgement and the ability to capitalise on scoring opportunities over many hours at the crease.
Sutar’s innings has also placed him among a select group of first-class batters who have reached the 400-run mark, a list that includes several celebrated figures from the wider cricketing world.
From Mumbai to Mizoram
Sutar’s record-breaking performance comes after a significant change in his domestic career. He previously represented Mumbai in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and also made an impression in local T20 competitions.
In June 2026, he was part of MSC Maratha Royals when they retained their Mumbai T20 League title. He scored 212 runs across six innings during the tournament and finished with two consecutive half-centuries, demonstrating his ability to contribute consistently in the shorter format.
Ahead of the 2026–27 domestic season, Sutar obtained a no-objection certificate from the Mumbai Cricket Association and moved to Mizoram. The change provided him with an opportunity to represent a different state in the Ranji Trophy and establish himself in first-class cricket.
He made his Ranji Trophy debut for Mizoram against Manipur, scoring 35 in the first innings and 99 in the second. Despite his contribution with the bat, Mizoram lost that match by three wickets.
His unbeaten 400 against Nagaland represents a major achievement in the early stages of his career with Mizoram. Having already shown promise in both one-day and T20 competitions, he has now delivered a performance that places him among the standout individual scorers in the history of Indian domestic cricket.
For Mizoram, the innings provided a formidable first-innings total. For Sutar, it marked a career-defining moment. Although Nimbalkar’s 443 remains the record to beat, Sutar’s achievement has ended a wait of more than seven decades for another Indian batter to reach 400 in a Ranji Trophy innings, securing his place in the competition’s history.
