Mizoram batter Chinmay Sutar produced a remarkable performance in the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 Plate match against Nagaland, scoring 400 runs to become only the second batter in the tournament’s history to reach the milestone in a single innings. His extraordinary knock, achieved in Dimapur, placed him among the most notable performers in Indian domestic cricket and revived memories of one of the longest-standing records in the competition.
Mizoram declared their first innings at 581/9 on Day 2, with Sutar’s marathon innings providing the foundation for the imposing total. The 400-run effort came more than seven decades after Maharashtra’s Bhausaheb Nimbalkar scored an unbeaten 443 against Kathiawar in the 1948-49 Ranji Trophy season, a record that has remained one of Indian cricket’s most remarkable individual achievements.
Sutar’s performance was particularly striking because he had only recently begun his first-class career. The Mizoram batter transformed an impressive start to his domestic journey into a historic milestone, demonstrating the concentration, patience and consistency required to build a monumental innings in the longer format.
Chinmay Sutar enters the Ranji Trophy record books
The 400-run innings places Sutar second on the all-time list of highest individual scores in Ranji Trophy history, behind Nimbalkar’s unbeaten 443. His achievement also puts him ahead of several established Indian batters who have produced exceptional performances in the country’s premier first-class competition.
Former India opener Prithvi Shaw occupies third place with 379 runs for Mumbai against Assam during the 2022-23 season. Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar follows with 366 runs for Mumbai against Hyderabad in 1990-91, while MV Sridhar scored 344 for Hyderabad against Andhra Pradesh during the 1993-94 season.
The list highlights the extraordinary standard required to reach the top of the Ranji Trophy scoring charts. Batters must negotiate changing pitch conditions, maintain concentration across multiple sessions and continue scoring long after reaching what would ordinarily be considered a match-defining individual total.
Sutar’s achievement is even more significant because it came against the backdrop of a competition that has featured generations of Indian cricketing talent. The Ranji Trophy has long served as a proving ground for players seeking recognition at the national level, and performances of this magnitude inevitably attract attention beyond the domestic circuit.
How Sutar built his monumental innings
Sutar’s 400 was built through sustained run-scoring, with the batter striking 46 fours and seven sixes. Those boundaries accounted for 226 runs, underlining the combination of controlled stroke play and attacking intent that shaped his innings.
His ability to find the boundary consistently prevented the opposition from settling into a comfortable rhythm. At the same time, reaching 400 in first-class cricket requires far more than aggressive batting. It demands the discipline to leave difficult deliveries, manage fatigue and remain focused through repeated changes in bowling plans.
Mizoram also received useful support from Jehu Anderson, who contributed 69 runs. His innings helped strengthen the team’s position as Sutar continued his remarkable stay at the crease.
The declaration at 581/9 gave Mizoram a substantial first-innings total to defend or build upon, depending on how the match developed. While Sutar naturally dominated the headlines, Anderson’s contribution helped ensure the innings was not entirely dependent on one batter.
For Mizoram, the performance offered an opportunity to make a significant statement in the Ranji Trophy Plate competition. A total of 581 runs can place considerable pressure on an opposition batting lineup, particularly when the bowling side has spent long periods in the field.
From an early domestic setback to a record-breaking 400
Sutar’s rise makes the innings more compelling. He made his List A debut for Mumbai against Maharashtra in the Vijay Hazare Trophy in January 2025, but his first appearance did not go according to plan. He was run out after scoring just two runs.
Rather than allowing that difficult beginning to define his progress, Sutar continued working towards establishing himself in domestic cricket. He subsequently made his first-class debut for Mizoram during the 2025-26 season.
His first outing in the Ranji Trophy showed encouraging signs. Sutar scored 35 in the first innings against Manipur before responding with an impressive 99 in the second innings. Although he narrowly missed out on a maiden first-class century, the performance suggested that he could make a meaningful contribution at this level.
His subsequent 400 against Nagaland represented an extraordinary leap from promise to history. The progression from a first-class score of 99 to a quadruple century in the early stages of his career makes the achievement especially noteworthy.
Domestic cricket can be unforgiving, with opportunities often determined by consistency rather than reputation. Sutar’s performance demonstrates how quickly a player can change the narrative around his career through a major innings.
Chinmay Sutar joins an elite group in first-class cricket
Sutar’s achievement also carries significance beyond the Ranji Trophy. Scoring 400 in a first-class innings is an extremely rare feat in the wider game, placing him among a select group of batters who have reached the milestone.
The highest individual score in first-class cricket belongs to Brian Lara, who made an unbeaten 501 for Warwickshire against Durham in 1994. Lara’s innings remains one of the defining batting performances in the history of the format.
Other legendary names associated with extraordinary first-class scores include Don Bradman, whose dominance helped establish his reputation as one of cricket’s greatest batters. Reaching 400 requires a rare combination of technique, temperament, physical endurance and favourable match circumstances.
For Sutar, the milestone offers an opportunity to build on a remarkable start rather than an endpoint in his career. Sustaining this level of performance across different conditions and against stronger opposition will be the next challenge.
What Sutar’s record means for Mizoram cricket
Mizoram’s appearance in the Ranji Trophy Plate competition provides players with an important platform to demonstrate their abilities in India’s domestic structure. An innings of 400 can bring attention to both the individual and the team, highlighting the talent available outside the country’s traditional cricketing centres.
Sutar’s performance may also encourage young cricketers who are attempting to establish themselves through domestic competitions. His journey, which included an unsuccessful List A debut before a breakthrough in first-class cricket, shows that early setbacks do not have to determine a player’s future.
However, one historic innings is only the beginning. The challenge for Sutar will be to convert this achievement into sustained performances throughout the season and establish himself as a dependable batter for Mizoram.
For now, his name is firmly etched into Ranji Trophy history. With 400 runs in a single innings, Sutar has moved within reach of Nimbalkar’s legendary 443 and produced one of the most remarkable individual performances of the 2025-26 domestic season.
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