Sanjay Bangar’s Daughter Anaya Bangar Cleared By Cricket Australia To Play Female Community Cricket

Cricket Australia cleared 25-year-old trans-athlete Anaya Bangar to play female community cricket, AP reported. The decision allows her to return to the field following gender-affirming surgery.

Anaya is the daughter of former India all-rounder and batting coach Sanjay Bangar. She previously played age-group cricket for Mumbai alongside Sarfaraz Khan and Musheer Khan.

Anaya told AP, “It’s 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.”

She expects to debut in 2027. Anaya shared the news on social media, hinting at her upcoming return to the pitch for competitive women's cricket.

Eligibility and Elite Policy

Cricket Australia maintains specific hormonal requirements for professional participation. The organisation’s policy for elite cricket states that a player’s serum testosterone must remain below 10 nmol/L for at least 12 months.

Jacqui Partridge, Cricket Australia’s head of integrity, outlined the timeline in a letter to the player. “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,” Partridge told AP.

Anaya is currently recovering from gender-affirming surgery and actively searching for an Australian club to resume playing.

“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 isn’t affected by this determination,” Partridge added to AP.

A Painful Personal Journey

Anaya sought guidance from Indian administrators before looking abroad. She wrote to the BCCI in 2025 seeking clarity on trans-athlete eligibility criteria but received no response.

“I genuinely could not believe that I would 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 are not because they have to either choose the sport or choose transition,” Anaya told AP.

The transition process tested her resilience. “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,” Anaya added to AP.