(news.com.au) : Transgender cricketer Anaya Bangar has received clearance from Cricket Australia to play at the elite level of the women’s game from March 2027.
Indian star Bangar, the daughter of Indian all-rounder Sanjay Bangar, underwent gender-affirming surgery five months ago.
She has now shared on social media the confirmation letter she received pertaining to Cricket Australia’s Inclusion of Transgender and Gender Diverse Players in Elite Cricket Policy.
The decision to allow her to compete means Bangar, who previously played U19 cricket for Mumbai, will be available to play in the Women’s Big Bash League next year.
Bangar’s statement on Instagram read: “The comeback is real.
“After years of uncertainty, Cricket Australia has confirmed my eligibility to participate in elite cricket from March 2027, subject to ongoing policy requirements.
“Following the recent policy amendments, CA has also confirmed that my eligibility determination will not be impacted by those amendments.
“Until then, I’m eligible to play Premier Cricket and WBBL eventually in Australia.
Now it’s time to earn my place. See you on the field.”
Speaking to newspaper Bombay Times, she added: “For me, this is incredibly emotional because there was a point when I genuinely believed I had lost cricket forever.”
Any transgender athlete that remains below the permissible testosterone limit can compete in top-level women’s cricket in Australia.
Bangar claims she approached the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) about competing in her home country but has not received a reply from the organisation.
And she still faces significant challenges to secure a place in the Big Bash.
“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 told The Indian Express.
“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.”
