There is a distinct irony that only the second Indian batter to score a quadruple century in the Ranji Trophy began his cricketing life dreaming of being the next Shane Warne.

On October 19, 2026, when 29-year-old Chinmay Rajesh Sutar walked off the Sovima Cricket Ground unbeaten on 400 off 517 balls for Mizoram against Nagaland, he etched his name alongside Maharashtra’s B.B. Nimbalkar (443*) in first-class history. Surpassing Prithvi Shaw’s 379 to register the tournament's second-highest individual score, the roots of this marathon knock trace back to a boy in Mumbai who initially prioritized tweaking the ball over hitting it.

“Until the Under-16 level, I was a leg-spinner and a lower-order batter. After Under-16, I started focusing more on batting because I was enjoying it. My focus on bowling reduced and batting increased. Then I played A-Division club cricket in Mumbai, where I scored runs and hit hundreds. That gave me confidence in my batting, and that’s how my journey as a specialist batter began,” he told bcci.tv.

While Warne captured his early imagination, Sutar's ultimate batting compass was set to a local hero, a connection rooted deeply in his family history. His father, Rajesh Sutar, a former explosive Mumbai Ranji batter, famously opened the batting alongside Sachin Tendulkar in local Mumbai club cricket. Growing up with those stories, it was a natural progression for Chinmay to idolize the Master Blaster.

“I used to idolize Shane Warne when I bowled leg-spin, but Sachin Tendulkar sir has always been my all-time favourite and idol. From childhood, watching his videos, and even now, he inspires and motivates a lot, and teaches a lot.”

That admiration turned into tangible advice during a Mumbai practice session. “I have spoken to him once or twice. We had a practice session at BKC, and we had a small interaction then. He just gave me a few insights about batting and spoke to me about mindset; that's all.”

Breaking into Mumbai's senior XI was a gruelling test. Sutar captained the Under-23 side and was part of Mumbai's Vijay Hazare Trophy-winning squad in 2020-21 without playing a game. During this phase, India's T20 World-Cup winning captain, Suryakumar Yadav, offered crucial support.

“Surya bhai helped me secure a bat contract with a major company in 2020-21. I remain very grateful to him for that support.”

Sharing dressing rooms with modern greats proved invaluable. “When you are in the Mumbai dressing room, you get the opportunity to play alongside and observe big players. I feel very grateful that I got to share dressing rooms with Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, and many others. Watching their game sense, how they read situations, and how they carry themselves teaches you a lot.”

Despite his pedigree, Sutar waited until January 2026 to finally make his senior debut for Mumbai, only to be run out for two in his lone Vijay Hazare match. When his first-class red-ball debut for Mizoram arrived months later against Manipur, it ended in familiar agony: run out on 99.

“After being run out on 99 in the last match, there was a feeling inside that I had to do something big in this game. When the hundred happened, I felt very good. After that, I was only thinking about how I could contribute more runs for the team.”

That team-first mentality birthed a historic rearguard against Nagaland. Anchored by Mizoram's No. 11, Lalrempuia Chhakchhuak (14 off 76 balls), Sutar forged an unbroken 189-run final-wicket stand, the third-highest in Ranji Trophy history, before Mizoram declared on 581 for 9.

“After 200, because our wickets were falling, I was just talking to the tailenders and batting with them. I wasn't thinking about any personal milestone at all; I was only trying to make sure the team’s total kept increasing. I think this milestone was very special for me because when the innings was declared, only then did I come to know about the record. 400 runs is not something that happens again and again in life, so it was very big and very important for me.”

To even reach Sovima, Sutar took a massive gamble. Frustrated by the lack of opportunities, he was playing club cricket in the United Kingdom in mid-2026. When Mizoram trials opened, he flew to Delhi for a rain-shortened trial in Gurgaon, before flying right back.

“Leaving Mumbai was a very big decision for me. It wasn't about which team I was going to; it was about seeking opportunity. I wasn't getting consistent chances in white-ball cricket, and I hadn't received an opportunity in red ball cricket. I was playing club cricket in the UK during the off-season, which I have been doing for the last four years. When my name was shortlisted for trials in Delhi, going there was critical. It was difficult to manage the travel back and forth, but you have to do these things to grab an opportunity.”

Sutar credits his resilience to his father.

"My inspiration has been my father right from the beginning. When I was struggling in Mumbai, when I wasn't getting matches or was in and out of the side, he kept me motivated. From him, I learned the importance of having patience, waiting for the right time, and continuing to put in the hard work."

For a 29-year-old, starting afresh with a new state association is daunting. While former college teammates like Shams Mulani and Tanush Kotian are established domestic names, Sutar is essentially hitting reset on his journey.

"I try not to think too much about the future; I focus on staying in the present, working on the controllables, and putting in the hard yards every single day.

- By Meeth Agrawal