Transgender athlete who was born a male cleared to play in Australia’s Women’s Big Bash League after not receiving a response from India
Transgender cricketer Anaya Bangar has been cleared to pursue a place in Australia’s Women’s Big Bash League from March 2027.
The 25-year-old, who is the daughter of former India cricketer and national batting coach Sanjay Bangar, received confirmation under Cricket Australia’s Inclusion of Transgender and Gender Diverse Players in Elite Cricket Policy.
The decision makes Bangar eligible for elite domestic women’s cricket in Australia once she satisfies the policy’s requirements.
However, it does not guarantee her a WBBL contract. She must still attract the interest of a franchise and earn selection through her performances.
Bangar has also been cleared to play women’s community and Premier Cricket across Australian states and territories with immediate effect.
She described Cricket Australia’s decision as a major breakthrough after previously fearing her playing career had ended.
Transgender cricketer Anaya Bangar has been cleared to pursue elite women’s cricket in Australia from March 2027 onwards
Bangar can immediately play women’s community and Premier Cricket competitions across every Australian state and territory under current rules
Cricket Australia’s ruling provides an eligibility pathway but does not guarantee Bangar a contract with any WBBL franchise
‘It is a great day for me, especially after knowing the fact that I can play cricket,’ Bangar told The Indian Express.
‘There was a stage when I thought I would never play cricket again, but thanks to Cricket Australia, it has given me another chance.’
Bangar underwent gender-affirming surgery in Thailand in March 2026.
Cricket Australia’s elite policy requires transgender women to keep their serum testosterone concentration below 10 nanomoles per litre for at least 12 months.
Players must also comply with ongoing monitoring requirements.
‘I am now eligible to play in the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) in Australia from March 2027 onwards,’ Bangar told Bombay Times.
‘For me, this is incredibly emotional because there was a point when I genuinely believed I had lost cricket forever.’
Bangar previously played in Mumbai’s youth cricket system as a top-order batter and all-rounder.
The 25-year-old is the daughter of former India cricketer and national batting coach Sanjay Bangar
She underwent gender-affirming surgery in Thailand in March before receiving the eligibility confirmation from Cricket Australia this week
Bangar previously developed as a top-order batter and all-rounder within Mumbai’s highly competitive youth cricket system in India
She trained and competed alongside players including Indian Test cricketer Sarfaraz Khan before later moving to the United Kingdom, where she continued playing and training with local clubs.
Her immediate task will be finding an Australian club and rebuilding her match fitness through community and Premier Cricket.
‘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,’ she said.
‘I still have to train, compete, perform and earn that opportunity.’
WBBL clubs recruit international cricketers through overseas-player contracts and the competition’s draft system.
That means Bangar must first demonstrate that she can perform at the required level before any franchise considers adding her to its squad.
‘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,’ she said.
‘So ultimately, I still have to convince a franchise that I can contribute to their team.
‘For me, that means getting back into competitive cricket in Australian leagues, working on my batting, bowling, fielding and fitness, training consistently and demonstrating that I can perform at that level.’
Cricket Australia’s domestic rules differ from those governing international women’s cricket.
The International Cricket Council ruled in 2023 that transgender women who experienced male puberty could not compete in international women’s matches, regardless of whether they had undergone surgery or testosterone treatment.
The policy applies to ICC-sanctioned international cricket but does not prevent national governing bodies from establishing their own eligibility rules for domestic competitions.
Bangar also contacted the Board of Control for Cricket in India last year to determine whether she could play women’s cricket in the country.
She said she had not received a response.
A BCCI official subsequently said the governing body had not established a formal policy covering transgender women in domestic cricket.