The cricket records conundrum plaguing T20Is and the Ranji Trophy

October 26, 2026

Chinmay Sutar, who recently moved from Mumbai to Mizoram, hit an unbeaten 400 against Nagaland in the Plate Group of the 2026-27 Ranji Trophy, marking only the second instance of a 400-plus score in the tournament's history. His innings, which included 46 fours and seven sixes, placed him just behind BB Nimbalkar's record of 443 not out set in 1948-49.

This performance has intensified debate over whether statistics from the Plate Group, which includes teams like Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur, should be included in the official First-Class record books. Senior statistician Rajneesh Gupta has proposed treating the Plate Group as a qualifying stage where scores do not count toward career totals, or alternatively, maintaining separate record lists for the Elite and Plate divisions.

However, Mohandas Menon argues that as long as these matches retain First-Class status, all performances must be officially recorded. Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar had previously expressed concern that the expansion of the Plate Group has diluted the quality of competition in the premier domestic tournament.