Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Chinmay Sutar is showing no signs of slowing down. The 29-year-old continued his sensational start to the Ranji Trophy season, following his record-breaking 400 with another century for Mizoram against Meghalaya in the Plate Group fixture at the Gokulbhai Somabhai Patel Stadium in Nadiad.
Sutar struck 125 off 215 balls, hitting 12 fours, to register his second consecutive hundred and take his tally to 659 runs in his first four first-class innings. In the process, he surpassed Australia’s Will Ponsford, who scored 616 runs in his first four first-class innings more than a century ago, to set a new record.
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The latest knock came just days after Sutar produced one of the most remarkable innings in Ranji Trophy history. Facing Nagaland in Sovima, the left-hander smashed an unbeaten 400 off 517 deliveries, with 46 fours and seven sixes, becoming only the second batter to score a quadruple century in the tournament.
Only Maharashtra’s Bhausaheb Nimbalkar, who made an unbeaten 443 against Kathiawar in the 1948-49 season, has scored more in a Ranji Trophy innings. Sutar’s effort also made him only the 10th batter in first-class cricket history to reach the 400-run mark in an innings, joining a list featuring Brian Lara, Don Bradman and Ponsford.
His latest century further underlined the consistency behind his extraordinary start. Sutar began his first-class career against Manipur earlier this month with scores of 35 and 99, narrowly missing out on a maiden hundred after being run out. He then converted that near-miss into history against Nagaland before backing it up with another substantial contribution against Meghalaya.
Sutar’s rise has been particularly striking given the journey he has taken to reach this point. A Mumbai batter who made his name in the city’s competitive local cricket circuit, he moved to Mizoram ahead of the 2026-27 season after struggling to secure regular opportunities in Mumbai’s red-ball setup.
He had represented Mumbai in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, India’s domestic one-day competition, but his ambition remained to play first-class cricket regularly. Mizoram offered him that opportunity, and he has responded with a run of scores that has put him in the record books.
His 400 against Nagaland was built on patience and perseverance, including an unbroken last-wicket partnership of 190 runs with Lalrempuia Chhakchhuak. Now, with another century to his name, Sutar is turning a remarkable beginning into a season to remember.
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
