Cricket Australia inclusion of Anaya Bangar

Anaya Bangar, a 25-year-old transgender cricketer and daughter of former Indian player Sanjay Bangar, has received clearance from Cricket Australia to return to competitive women’s cricket. Under the governing body’s inclusion policy, Bangar is permitted to participate in women’s community and Premier Cricket competitions in Australia immediately.

To qualify for elite-level competition, such as the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL), Bangar must meet specific medical benchmarks. This requires demonstrating through blood tests that her serum testosterone concentration remains below 10 nmol/L for a continuous period of at least 12 months. While her July test recorded a level of 0.6 nmol/L, a formal assessment regarding her eligibility for elite selection is scheduled for March 2027.

Bangar, who previously played age-group cricket for Mumbai, underwent gender-affirming surgery in March 2026. The decision has sparked debate within the sporting community; South African all-rounder Marizanne Kapp expressed opposition on social media, calling the clearance ‘absolutely ridiculous’, to which Bangar responded by urging Kapp to ‘educate yourself.’

While Cricket Australia’s domestic policy allows for this pathway, the International Cricket Council (ICC) maintains a ban on transgender women who have undergone male puberty from competing in international women’s cricket. Bangar noted that the clearance provides an opportunity to work toward elite competition rather than a guaranteed selection, expressing gratitude for a framework that aims to ‘balance fairness, competitive integrity and inclusion in women’s sport’.