Chinmay Sutar scores unbeaten 400 for Mizoram against Manipur in Ranji Trophy
Mizoram batter Chinmay Sutar scored an unbeaten 400 against Manipur in a Ranji Trophy match, a feat reported on October 21, 2026, that has drawn attention because it occurred in the competition’s Northeast zone.
Only two Indians have previously made a quadruple in over nine decades of the Ranji Trophy, and Sutar, 29, became the 10th batter in first-class history to reach 400. Sutar reached the landmark with a six and said, “I was more nervous in the 190s than in the 390s.” He told Cricinfo, “Northeast sides don’t get the exposure, but the spirit of the players is amazing.”
Bhausaheb Nimbalkar was the first Indian to pass 400 in first-class cricket, batting on 443 for Maharashtra against Kathiawar when the opposing captain conceded the match rather than see the record extended to Don Bradman’s mark; Nimbalkar never played for India. Bill Ponsford and Brian Lara have each compiled quadruples twice, with Lara finishing on 501 not out in 1994 after a run of form that included a Test score of 375 and seven centuries in eight innings.
The previous quadruple before Sutar’s came four years ago when Sam Northeast scored 410 for Glamorgan against Leicestershire; West Indies batter Jimmy Adams said Northeast reminded him of a “young Mohammed Azharuddin.” Sutar’s 400 arrived early in his first-class career — he was run out on 99 on debut and made the quadruple in only his third first-class innings — while Ponsford’s equivalent innings came in his fourth.
The first recorded 400-plus innings was Archie MacLaren’s 424 in 1895; writer Gideon Haigh described MacLaren as, “a cricketer like many others, a lion on the field, a lamb everywhere else.” Hanif Mohammed held the world record for a long period and was run out in the nervous 490s one short of 500; he later wrote in The Guardian: “There were two balls left of the third day and the manually operated scoreboard showed I was on 496. I wanted to get to 500 so (skipper) Wazir could declare. I played a ball out to point where there was a misfield so I thought I’d chance the second, which would leave me needing two off the day’s last ball to get 500. But the fielder threw to the keeper’s end, and I was short. I thought I was gone for 497, but as I walked back, the scoreboard showed 499. They had been a little slow and hadn’t updated my score when I looked initially! I would never have pushed so hard if I knew I was on 498 and not 496!”
Aftab Baloch, the other Pakistani to record a quadruple, complained that “There was no photograph taken during the match; surprising for it was played at a Test centre.” Baloch played two Tests, and anecdotes from other players include Hanif being massaged with olive oil before his record and Lara being both bowled off a no ball when on 12 and dropped by the wicketkeeper on 18 — described as “the most expensive miss in all cricket.”
There has been commentary about the status of Northeast opposition and record-keeping, and the article notes, “There might be an issue with records against Northeast teams.” But it also closes on the simple point from the coverage: a 400 remains a 400.
