Can Anaya Bangar play for India women’s team? Here’s what latest update says
Anaya Bangar has been cleared by Cricket Australia to play female community cricket.
Anaya Bangar, the child of former Indian coach Sanjay Bangar, is set to return to competitive cricket after Cricket Australia confirmed that she will be eligible to play women’s cricket from March 2027.
Anaya Bangar underwent gender-affirming surgery and fully embraced her identity as a woman. However, the policies of many cricket governing bodies are not in favour of transgender women playing women’s cricket. Cricket Australia, however, has a different policy and allows transgender cricketers to participate in elite-level cricket if they meet its eligibility and testosterone-related criteria, which Ananya will also need to fulfil.
Anaya’s next goal will be to earn a place in a Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) team. She will be eager to prove that she is valuable to a team. Several Indian stars, including Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues, have already played in the WBBL, and now Anaya would like to join their ranks.
With Anaya set to return to competitive cricket, fans are wondering if she will be eligible to play for the Indian Women’s Cricket Team in the future. On that note, let’s have a look at the laws of the BCCI and ICC regarding transgender cricketers.
Can Ananya Bangar for India? Here are BCCI’s rules regarding transgender cricketers
Catch Every Update, Anytime, Anywhere
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) follows the same rules as the International Cricket Council (ICC) regarding transgender cricketers. They do not allow transgender women who have gone through male puberty to compete in women’s cricket. India’s domestic cricket also aligns with the same regulations.
Even though Cricket Australia has already confirmed Anaya Bangar’s eligibility and allows her to play competitive domestic cricket, she won’t be able to represent the Indian Women’s Cricket Team according to the BCCI’s current rules.
Anaya Bangar is eager to prove that she is capable of playing in big leagues and wants to earn her place in a WBBL team. In an interview, Anaya said that she just wants to play cricket and compete against the best players in the world. She needs to fulfil the testosterone-related eligibility criteria to play in the WBBL.
“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.” Ananya told Bombay Times.
“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,” she concluded.
Can Anaya Bangar play for the Indian women’s cricket team?
Under the current ICC regulations, Anaya Bangar is not be eligible to play international women’s cricket for India because she went through male puberty.
What are Cricket Australia’s rules for transgender cricketers?
Cricket Australia’s policy is different from the ICC’s current international policy. Transgender players can participate in women’s cricket at the elite level if they meet Cricket Australia’s eligibility requirements.
For more updates, follow Khel Now Cricket on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.
Kabaddi is old, but not older than my love for it. I am still a rookie, but kabaddi is one thing I have been following passionately since my childhood. I don't miss any matches of the league and I regularly follow domestic and international tournaments as well.