Anaya Bangar Cleared by Cricket Australia for Women's Pathway After Transition
· Sports · Times of India, NDTV Sports
Anaya Bangar, a 25-year-old trans cricketer and daughter of former India player and coach Sanjay Bangar, has been cleared by Cricket Australia (CA) to pursue a competitive women's cricket pathway, subject to the body's eligibility requirements for transgender and gender-diverse players. Anaya began her transition in 2022 and underwent gender-affirming surgery in March 2025, a period she described as "lonely" and "brutal." In June, she approached CA's Head of Integrity Jacqui Partridge after learning about the governing body's trans-player policy, a process that ultimately led to her clearance. Anaya said she had nearly given up hope of ever playing cricket again and called CA's decision "huge." She will now look to meet the policy's eligibility criteria before returning to competitive play.
Why it matters
Anaya's clearance sets a concrete precedent under CA's trans-player policy at a time when trans-athlete participation in elite women's sport is under intense global scrutiny. For Indian cricket, it keeps alive the prospect of a Bangar — from a family already central to Indian coaching — returning to the field through an overseas pathway rather than the BCCI system.
Read the original report — Times of India
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