Anaya Bangar, the daughter of former India cricketer Sanjay Bangar, recently announced that she will be eligible to participate in elite women’s cricket in Australia starting March 2027. While the decision has drawn scrutiny, Anaya’s journey has been a truly special one. The 23-year-old began hormone replacement therapy in 2024 and has now received clearance under Cricket Australia’s ‘Inclusion of Transgender and Gender Diverse Players in Elite Cricket Policy’. While CA’s decision has raised a few eyebrows-with South Africa all-rounder Marizanne Kapp among those voicing displeasure-the policy marks a major step toward inclusivity in the sport.
In an exclusive chat with NDTV’s Vimal Mohan, Anaya opened up about her dream to represent India at the Women’s World Cup and win an Olympic medal, while acknowledging the challenges ahead.
Question: You may have seen father-son or father-daughter pairs such as Sachin Tendulkar–Arjun Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag-Aryavir Sehwag, Rahul Dravid-Anvay Dravid, and Pullela Gopichand-Gayatri Gopichand achieve fame. But the pair of Sanjay Bangar and Anaya Bangar is different from all of them in many ways.
Anaya, you have shown great courage. Around 3 percent of the world’s population, or more than 200 million people, feel the need for gender transition while living in a body that does not align with their identity. How difficult was your journey from being a boy to becoming a girl? Who helped you the most during this journey, and where did the challenges come from?
Anaya Bangar: The person who helped me the most was myself. My family supported me, but I fought the biggest battles on my own to get where I am today. I’m happy that people are now talking about this. If there are proper regulations and more discussions around it, things can improve further.
Question: You mentioned the need for regulations. The ICC and BCCI may not have very clear policies on this issue, but the Olympics appear to have more defined rules. Athletes such as Lia Thomas (American swimmer) and Chris Mosier (American triathlete) have participated in the Games as transgender athletes. Your case is also different from athletes like Dutee Chand, Caster Semenya, and Imane Khelif.
Cricket Australia has stated that your testosterone level must remain below 10 nmol/L for 12 months. What does that mean?
Anaya Bangar: When you begin hormone replacement therapy (HRT), you take testosterone suppressants and estrogen pills to help your body develop female characteristics. Your body essentially goes through a second puberty. As a result, your stamina decreases. You experience loss of bone mineral density and muscle mass. Along with that, I have also undergone surgery.
Question: How much has all of this affected your cricketing skills and physical strength?
Anaya Bangar: It definitely affects both your strength and your skills. With muscle loss, your style of play also changes. At present, my testosterone level is 0.6 nmol/L, which is even lower than the typical female range. I have maintained this for three years now. As an athlete, it has reduced my capabilities as well.
When I was in England, I partnered with the University of Manchester and participated in one of their studies. I had been on testosterone-suppressing hormones for a year. They conducted various tests on my body over a 12-week period. They measured my lung capacity, hemoglobin levels, power output, and several other performance indicators. They then compared my data with that of female athletes. All my results were comparable to those of female athletes.
Question: Cricket Australia has allowed you to play community cricket. How do you see your cricketing journey progressing from here?
Anaya Bangar: Cricket Australia evaluated all my paperwork under its existing regulations. They have decided that when I return to Australia in March 2027, they will test my testosterone levels again. Based on those results and their guidelines, they may permit me to play in the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL).
Before that, I want to prove myself in club cricket so that I can eventually earn an opportunity to play in the WBBL as well.
I also hope that changes come within the BCCI. At present, there are no rules regarding this issue in India. It is not a matter of being for or against transgender athletes; there simply are no regulations in place.
Question: You have said that you want cricket to become your identity. What do you hope to achieve?
Anaya Bangar: I want to win a World Cup for India and win an Olympic medal through women’s cricket.
Question: You have played cricket with Sarfaraz Khan and Musheer Khan. Which cricketers are you a fan of?
Anaya Bangar: Earlier, I was a fan of Virat Kohli. Now, I really like Abhishek Sharma. Among women’s cricketers, I admire Smriti Mandhana a lot.
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