Around 500 spectators gathered at the Nagaland Cricket Stadium in Sovima, near Dimapur, on Monday to watch Nagaland take on Mizoram in the Ranji Trophy. By the end of the day, they had witnessed a historic moment in Indian domestic cricket, as Chinmay Sutar became the first batter in 78 years to score 400 runs in a first-class innings. However, the significance of the achievement was not immediately clear to many in attendance, including Sutar himself.
“While I was batting, I had no idea. After we declared the innings at 581 for nine, I got to know,” the 29-year-old told Cricbuzz after his marathon knock of 400 not out off 517 balls.
Sutar became only the second Indian batter to score an unbeaten 400 in first-class cricket, joining Bhausaheb Nimbalkar, who made 443 not out for Maharashtra against Kathiawar in Pune during the 1948-49 season. His achievement also placed him among an elite group of 10 players worldwide to have scored a quadruple century in first-class cricket.
The milestone was particularly remarkable given that Sutar was playing only his second first-class match. He made his debut for Mizoram in the previous week’s season opener against Manipur.
Born in Thane, Sutar grew up in Chinchani, a village in Maharashtra’s Palghar district near Mumbai. He represented Mumbai in the Vijay Hazare Trophy this year and was also part of the Maratha Royals squad in the Mumbai T20 League earlier in June.
“My dream was to play for Mumbai, but it couldn’t come true. So, I am really grateful and very happy that I got the chance to play the Ranji Trophy for Mizoram,” he said.
Sutar credited his fitness, discipline and recovery routine for helping him sustain his innings over such a long period.
“I have been working really hard to stay fit. I think fitness plays a major role in an athlete’s life. Habits such as maintaining a proper diet and training regularly are important. I think that’s why I was able to score 200, 300 and 400 runs today,” he said.
While the scale of his first-class achievement was unprecedented in his career, Sutar had produced several notable scores in Mumbai’s domestic circuit. His previous highest score was 213 for the Cricket Club of India in the Young Comrade Shield Cricket Tournament a couple of years ago. Last year, he also struck 170 for Mumbai Customs in an A Division match of the Times Shield.
However, he acknowledged that reaching 400 required much more than just batting ability.
“I think it takes a lot of sacrifice to score 400. A lot of discipline, you know, and focus. It requires a lot of focus,” Sutar told Cricbuzz.
“I’m glad I could make it. I had the best recovery after yesterday (the first day of the game). I’m really thankful to our team’s physio and trainer. They helped me recover and kept me fit.”
Currently employed with Bank of Baroda, Sutar has shared the cricketing environment with several prominent Mumbai players, including Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, Tushar Deshpande and Shardul Thakur.
He has also played under Siddhesh Lad, the current Mumbai captain, at Maratha Royals in the Mumbai T20 League. Lad’s patient approach to batting may have influenced Sutar, who credits his Mumbai cricketing background for shaping his temperament in the longer format.
“I just thought I needed to stay at the crease for as long as possible because I knew that if I stayed there, the runs would come easily. So, that is what I did, and I’m glad I could do it,” he said.
“I think I learned that from Mumbai. I have been playing since I was a kid, since school cricket. I have always played red-ball cricket, so that (Khadoos) attitude will always be there.”
Sutar represented Mumbai at the Under-23 and Under-25 levels and also captained the Under-23 side in four matches. Although his dream of representing Mumbai at the senior level did not materialise, his move to Mizoram has given him an opportunity to make a mark in first-class cricket.
He is also encouraged by the ambition within his new team, which he believes has considerable potential to develop.
“It’s really different from Mumbai, but I think the Mizoram boys are really good. I can see the hunger in them to improve as players and as individuals. I think it’s a really great team. We have a good bunch of lads. It’s a very young team, and I think cricket is developing and growing here. It’s good to see,” he said.
For Sutar, the historic quadruple century is a major milestone in a career that is still taking shape. For Mizoram, it is a moment to celebrate a cricketer whose patience, preparation and determination have brought him into the record books.
