Anaya Bangar, formerly Aryan and daughter of ex-India cricketer and coach Sanjay Bangar, made headlines a few months ago when she shared her story of transitioning and the abrupt end to her cricketing journey.
In a recent interview with Lallantop, Anaya delved deeper, revealing the harsh realities trans women face, including harassment from fellow cricketers. “There has been support, and there has been some harassment as well,” she said.
She recounted instances where players from the so-called “gentleman’s game” sent unsolicited nude photos and made inappropriate advances. One veteran cricketer, she recalled, crudely propositioned her after she opened up about her journey: “He told me, ‘Let’s go in the car, I want to sleep with you.’”
Despite the abuse, Anaya has a solid cricketing background, having represented Islam Gymkhana and Hinckley Cricket Club in Leicestershire. But like many trans women, her path to professional cricket has been blocked—not by lack of talent, but by policy.
In 2023, the ICC banned trans women who’ve undergone male puberty from women’s international cricket. The ECB soon followed, restricting trans participation in elite domestic cricket from 2025. Anaya has voiced her anguish over these rulings on Instagram, calling out their discriminatory nature.
