Sachin Tendulkar praised Joe Root's talent, who is approaching his record for runs scored in Tests

There are many talented players in Indian cricket, but some stand out due to their sudden brilliant performances. Chinmay Sutar, a 29-year-old player representing Mizoram in the Ranji Trophy, has recently demonstrated exactly this outstanding skill.

He previously attracted public attention by scoring 400 not out runs in a group stage match against Nagaland. Now, he has set a world record in first-class cricket. Following a series of impressive performances, there have been speculations about his potential inclusion in the Indian national team.

In a contest against Arunachal Pradesh, Chinmay Sutar delivered a magnificent innings of 175 runs. This brought his total score in the first five first-class matches to 834 runs. He became the top scorer in the first five first-class matches, surpassing the record of Australian Bill Ponsford, who scored 724 runs between 1921 and 1923, a record that stood for 103 years.

It is important to note that even if Chinmay Sutar scores no runs in the next innings, he will remain the leading batsman with the highest score in the first six first-class matches. He has overtaken Bashir Shah from Afghanistan, who scored 831 runs in the first six first-class matches.

Chinmay Sutar debuted in first-class cricket this season against Manipur, where he played innings of 35 and 99 runs. Then, in his second first-class match, he scored 400 not out runs against Nagaland. His form continued against Meghalaya, where he showed excellent play with 125 runs. His recent stoic performance against Arunachal once again demonstrated his talent. In the Ranji Trophy 2026-27, he has scored 834 runs at an average of 208.50 and is the top run-scorer in the current Ranji season.

Sutar attributed his success to lessons learned early in his career with Mumbai Cricket. According to Sutar, he is happy with the consistent scoring and setting of world records. He mentioned that in his early years with Mumbai Cricket, he learned the importance of trying to score as many runs as possible when a batsman is in good form.

Chinmay Sutar is currently 29 years and 186 days old. He is setting major records at a time when many young players aspire to make it into Indian cricket. Nevertheless, despite his outstanding performances in domestic cricket, the path to the national team is not easy. His main task now is to maintain this high level of form.

Given how Chinmay Sutar started in first-class cricket, selectors' attention is likely to be focused on him. It will be interesting to see how high he takes his achievements and whether he gets a chance to wear the Indian jersey. If Chinmay continues to perform well, he could very well debut for India even at the age of 30.

In the history of cricket, there are players whose skill and outstanding play remain forever in the hearts of fans. Kumar Sangakkara, a former captain and distinguished wicketkeeper-batsman from Sri Lanka, is one such figure. Born on October 27, 1977, Sangakkara is known for his classic style of play, impeccable technique, and calm demeanor. At the time of writing, he was 49 years old.

Sangakkara strengthened the Sri Lankan batting lineup during a period when many stars of the team that won the 1996 World Cup were gradually moving away from international cricket. During this time, his partnership with Mahela Jayawardene became the main attacking force for Sri Lanka.

In July 2006, Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene created a historic partnership in a Test match against South Africa in Colombo. They scored 624 runs for the third wicket, setting a world record for the largest partnership in the history of Test cricket. In this landmark match, Sangakkara scored 287 runs, and Jayawardene scored 374 runs.

Throughout his nearly 15-year international career, Sangakkara amassed over 12,000 runs in Tests. He scored 38 centuries and 11 double centuries in this format. Among his achievements is an impressive innings of 192 runs, which he played against Australia in Hobart in 2007. Sangakkara is also among the greatest players in terms of double centuries; his 11 double centuries are just one short of Don Bradman's record of 12 double centuries.

After Mahela Jayawardene stepped down as captain, the Sri Lankan management entrusted the leadership to Sangakkara in 2009. Under his guidance, the team won its first Test series victory against Pakistan on home soil. Furthermore, Sri Lanka reached the T20 World Cup final in 2009 and the ODI World Cup final in 2011. Although the team lost to India in the 2011 World Cup final, Sangakkara demonstrated brilliant play in several important matches under his captaincy.

The most memorable moment in Kumar Sangakkara's career was in 2014, when Sri Lanka defeated India in the T20 World Cup. Following this victory, Sangakkara announced his retirement from T20 international matches. However, his farewell to ODIs and Tests was less triumphant: Sri Lanka was eliminated in the quarter-finals of the 2015 World Cup, and in the last home Test series, Sangakkara could not cross the mark of 32 runs in four matches.

Kumar Sangakkara is revered not only as an outstanding batsman but also as a perceptive cricketer who deeply understands the game. Starting his career as a wicketkeeper, Sangakkara later relinquished wicketkeeping duties in Tests, focusing all his efforts on batting, while continuing to play as a wicketkeeper in limited-overs formats.

His international career statistics are as follows: in Tests, he played 134 matches, batted 233 innings, scoring 12400 runs at an average of 57.40, with a best score of 319, scoring 38 centuries and 52 half-centuries, and making 182 catches and 20 stumpings. In ODIs, he played 380 innings, scoring 14234 runs at an average of 41.98, with a best score of 169, scoring 25 centuries and 93 half-centuries, and making 402 catches and 99 stumpings. In T20Is, he participated in 53 matches, scoring 1382 runs at an average of 31.40 and a strike rate of 119.55, with a best score of 78, without scoring a century, but making 25 catches and 20 stumpings.

In the 2026-27 Ranji Trophy season, Kerala secured a convincing victory over Odisha, winning by one innings and 36 runs. This match took place at the Greenfield Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram, and experienced all-rounder Jalaj Saxena was the main hero of the victory. He dismantled the Odisha attack in the second innings, taking 5 wickets, which equaled the outstanding spinner Bishan Singh Bedi in a certain record.

At the age of 39, Jalaj Saxena bowled 18 overs in the match against Odisha, conceding 34 runs while taking 5 wickets. Seven of these overs were maiden overs. This was his thirty-fifth time taking five wickets in a single game in the Ranji Trophy. With this achievement, he tied for fifth place in the list of bowlers who have taken the most five-wicket hauls in the tournament, alongside Bishan Singh Bedi.

However, former Indian spinner Rajinder Goel leads this list, having achieved the feat of taking five or more wickets in a single innings 59 times in the Ranji Trophy.

Bowlers helped Kerala win after batsmen's performance

In the first innings, Kerala scored 404 runs. Mohammed Azhuddin, who remained unbeaten on 139*, and Sachin Baby, who scored 112 runs, contributed significantly to this total. In response, Odisha managed only 225 runs in its first innings, giving Kerala a lead of 179 runs. Kerala decided to offer Odisha a follow-on, and the Odisha team could not recover in the second innings.

In the second innings, Odisha was reduced to 143 runs. Opening batsman Gaurav Chaudhary scored 53 runs, and captain Subhranshu Senapati added 30 runs. Nevertheless, before Jalaj Saxena's brilliant performance, the other batsmen could not hold on. Kerala concluded the match with a victory by an innings and 36 runs.

Kerala earned seven points

Thanks to this victory, Kerala earned seven points in the elite Group C of the Ranji Trophy. The team had previously earned only one point in the opening matches against Jharkhand but demonstrated a strong recovery against Odisha. Jalaj Saxena proves his worth by regularly taking wickets even at the age of 39.