Anaya Bangar has been given a pathway to resume competitive women’s cricket in Australia, with the possibility of pursuing elite-level opportunities from March 2027 subject to Cricket Australia’s eligibility requirements, according to a report by The Indian Express.
The 25-year-old, daughter of former India all-rounder and men’s team Batting Coach Sanjay Bangar, previously played age-group cricket for Mumbai alongside Sarfaraz Khan and Musheer Khan. Her Australian pathway comes after she approached the BCCI seeking clarity over eligibility for transgender athletes but did not receive a response.
A route back to cricket in Australia
For Bangar, the development creates a potential route towards the Women’s Big Bash League, although eligibility to pursue elite cricket does not itself secure a place in the competition.
Bangar told Bombay Times: “I am now eligible to play in the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) in Australia from March 2027 onwards. For me, this is incredibly emotional because there was a point when I genuinely believed I had lost cricket forever. Cricket has been such a fundamental part of my identity since childhood, and having to step away from the sport after my transition was one of the hardest things I experienced. So this isn’t simply about being included in a women’s league. It represents the possibility of returning to the sport I deeply love.”
Her immediate task is to return to competition and put herself in contention on playing merit. Bangar added: “Cricket Australia has allowed me to pursue elite women’s cricket in Australia. The next challenge is to get myself into the best possible physical and competitive shape and put myself in a position to be considered by a WBBL franchise. I still have to train, compete, perform and earn that opportunity.”
Selection would present another hurdle even after she satisfies the eligibility requirements. She explained: “The WBBL has an overseas-player contracting and draft system, where clubs select from the pool of available international players, like it happens in the IPL or the WPL. So ultimately, I still have to convince a franchise that I can contribute to their team.”
Having grown up watching and playing cricket in India, Bangar also views the possibility of eventually competing against Indian players in an Australian women’s competition as carrying particular personal significance.
Cricket Australia sets out eligibility conditions
Bangar can compete in Australian Premier Cricket before becoming eligible for elite cricket under the determination, giving her an avenue to return to competitive action ahead of March 2027.
Cricket Australia Head of Integrity Jacqui Partridge wrote a letter to Bangar: “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.”
Cricket Australia’s policy sets a serum testosterone threshold of below 10 nmol/L for at least 12 months for eligibility in elite cricket. Partridge further outlined the requirement Bangar will face from March 2027: “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.”
Bangar is recovering from gender-affirming surgery and has been looking for an Australian club as she prepares to resume playing. Her route through Premier Cricket therefore provides a competitive stage before any potential move into the elite game.
Bangar contrasts Cricket Australia and BCCI approaches
The Australian decision follows Bangar’s efforts to obtain clarity in India. She wrote to the BCCI seeking information about its eligibility criteria for transgender athletes, but the supplied material states that she had not received a response.
Bangar told Bombay Times: “When you grow up playing cricket competitively, the idea of potentially never being able to play again is incredibly difficult. But I’ve also learned that I can’t build my future around waiting for somebody else to make a decision.”
Bangar subsequently described a detailed assessment process in Australia involving medical documentation and testing. Speaking to The Indian Express, she said: “After I published my athlete testing report and everything else, BCCI stayed quiet about it. Whereas Cricket Australia actually read my report, went through all my medical history and had a proper team assessing my case. I approached Cricket Australia and they gave me clearance to play in terms of fairness and inclusivity. They (CA) asked for my blood test report and 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.”
The BCCI, meanwhile, has yet to establish a policy governing the participation of transgender women in women’s domestic cricket. A top BCCI official told The Indian Express: “When it comes to the 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 such a case has come up, the board is yet to take a stand. Especially on allowing them in domestic cricket.”
The international framework differs from the Australian domestic pathway available to Bangar. In 2023, the ICC barred transgender players who have experienced male puberty from competing in international women’s cricket.
Transition reshaped Bangar’s cricket journey
Bangar began transitioning in 2022 before moving to the United Kingdom, where she played club cricket and explored hormone replacement therapy. She also participated in a research project conducted by the Manchester Metropolitan University Institute of Sport examining the effects of hormone therapy on areas including strength, stamina and hormone and glucose levels.
Bangar told The Indian Express: “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 am just very happy.”
In an interview with The Indian Express last year, Bangar described changes to her physical capabilities following 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 that even if I wanted to, I just cannot face bowling at 140 kph.”
Her experience has also shaped how she views the wider question of transgender participation in sport. Bangar told Bombay Times: “I’m grateful that I have a pathway in Australia, and I hope that my journey can contribute to a broader conversation about how sporting bodies can approach transgender participation with both fairness and inclusion.”
For now, Bangar’s next competitive opportunity lies in Australian Premier Cricket, while access to elite cricket from March 2027 remains conditional on meeting Cricket Australia’s policy requirements. Any subsequent WBBL opportunity would then depend on her performances and earning the interest of a franchise.
