Glenn Phillips’ fake 16-ball century claim debunked

New Zealand batter Glenn Phillips has not scored a 16-ball century against India, despite a viral social media clip falsely claiming he achieved the extraordinary feat.

The misleading video, widely circulated on X, shows Phillips smashing consecutive sixes alongside a scoreboard displaying 100 runs off just 16 deliveries. However, official match records confirm that the batter scored 107 runs from 49 balls during the fourth T20I against India on October 30.

Phillips played a key role in New Zealand’s 87-run victory, helping his side post an imposing total of 259-7 in 20 overs. His innings included 10 sixes and six fours, as New Zealand secured a convincing win.

Several social media users reshared the clip, with posts attracting hundreds of thousands of views and falsely describing the innings as a new world record.

However, the claim is contradicted by established cricket records. Estonia’s Sahil Chauhan holds the record for the fastest century in T20 internationals, reaching the milestone in 27 balls against Cyprus in June 2024. Meanwhile, AB de Villiers holds the ODI record with a 31-ball century against West Indies in 2015.

Basic calculations also expose the viral claim. Even if a batter hits six sixes in 16 consecutive deliveries, the maximum score would be 96 runs, not 100.

New Zealand eventually won the final T20I by seven wickets, but India claimed the five-match series 3-2.

The viral claim of Phillips scoring a century in 16 balls is therefore false.