Anaya Bangar, the former Mumbai Under-19 cricketer, who underwent a gender affirming surgery in March this year, has received the clearance to play female Community Cricket in Australia.
“It is a great day for me especially after knowing the fact that I can play cricket. There was a stage where I thought I would never play cricket again but thanks to Cricket Australia, it has given me another chance,” Anaya told The Indian Express.
Anaya’s father Sanjay Bangar is a former India all-rounder and was also the batting coach of the men’s team. Anaya played age-group cricket for Mumbai alongside Test-capped Sarfaraz Khan and his brother Musheer Khan.
However, to play ‘Elite cricket’ like the Women’s Big Bash League, Anaya will have to fulfil testosterone-related eligibility criteria.
‘Transgender and Gender Diverse Players in Elite Cricket Policy’ of Cricket Australia requires a player’s serum testosterone to be below 10 nmol/L (nanomoles per litre) for a period of no less than 12 months to be eligible to play cricket. The International Cricket Council in 2023 banned transgender players from the elite women’s game if they have gone through male puberty.
In a letter sent to Anaya accessed by The Indian Express, Cricket Australia’s, Head of Integrity Jacqui Partridge stated, “Your eligibility for Elite Cricket from that date (March 2027) is conditional upon you providing a blood test upon your arrival in Australia confirming that your serum testosterone concentration remains below 10 nmol/L and that you continue to satisfy the Policy’s eligibility requirements.”
Anaya, who wrote to Cricket Australia in June, can start playing community cricket immediately, Cricket Australia said.
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“Until March 2027, you remain eligible to participate in Premier Cricket competitions in any State or Territory of Australia. As Premier Cricket is classified as Community Cricket rather than Elite Cricket under the Policy, your participation in those competitions is not affected by this determination,” Partridge stated.
A top BCCI official told this paper that it has no policy on transwoman playing female cricket.
“When it comes to ICC, they have said no to it. BCCI is yet to decide what can be done in such cases. As this is the first time board had come up with such a case of trans woman, the board is yet to formally take a stand on it. Especially on allowing them in domestic cricket,” the BCCI official said.
Anaya said she wrote to the BCCI last year to check about eligibility criteria to play but has not received a reply yet.
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In June 2025, Anaya had posted on Instagram asking for a meeting with BCCI and ICC representatives to discuss a policy for trans athletes to play cricket based on data and not ‘outdated perceptions’. In the post, Anaya said she had participated in a research project conducted by the Manchester Metropolitan University Institute of Sport, which covered how hormone therapy affected her strength, stamina, hormone and glucose levels.
Anaya is the daughter of former Indian cricketer Sanjay Bangar. (Express Photo By Ganesh Shirsekar)
“After I published my athlete testing report and everything else, the BCCI stayed quiet about it. Whereas Cricket Australia, they actually read my report, went through all my medical history and had a proper team assessing my case. I approached Cricket Australia and then they gave me clearance to play in terms of fairness and inclusivity. They (CA) asked for my blood test report, testosterone test report. They asked for the papers for the surgeries that I’ve done. They asked me for my Manchester University report which I had published over a year ago. If everything goes well and I perform then I have a chance to play in the WBBL,” Anaya said.
Anaya is still recovering from the gender affirming surgery, but said she was in the process of finding a club in Australia to play for.
“I genuinely couldn’t believe that I’ll be able to play ever again. Because of Cricket Australia and its progressive and inclusive policies, which focus on fairness and inclusion in women’s sport for trans women, this is a huge milestone, not just for me, but for other athletes like me who want to try, but aren’t because they have to either choose the sport or choose transition,” Anaya said.
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In 2022, after years of confusion about her identity, Anaya spoke to counselors who guided her about transitioning from a man to a woman at peace with herself. She moved to the United Kingdom, played club cricket and explored hormone replacement therapy.
“Honestly, the journey since the beginning was very painful, not just physically, but emotionally. My whole life changed, family dynamics, friendships, career, social focus, everything changed. And to be honest, I would do this again because transitioning has made me comfortable and happier in my own skin. I wouldn’t trade back for anything else. I would have had to give up cricket as well. And now with Cricket Australia doing this, I’m just very happy,” Anaya said.
Last year in an interview to The Indian Express Anaya had spoken about changes post hormone therapy.
“I could feel my energy levels being stable all the time as a man and I was definitely much stronger. Now, my heart feels weaker, my bones are weaker, and muscle strength has gone down. And that’s difficult for an athlete. The downside of it is even if I wanted to, I just can’t face 140 kph of bowling.”