Anaya Bangar urges BCCI to create inclusive policies for women's cricket

Anaya Bangar, daughter of former Indian cricketer and coach Sanjay Bangar, has called on the Board of Control for Cricket in India to establish inclusive, fair and dignified policies towards women's sport. Bangar's appeal comes after she received clearance from Cricket Australia to participate in community cricket and Premier Cricket, a development that keeps open the possibility of her return to elite-level cricket from March 2027.

After receiving no response from BCCI, Bangar contacted Cricket Australia in June 2026 to explore her options. She told PTI that BCCI served with silence her bid to join the Indian women's cricket team, prompting her to seek opportunities elsewhere while maintaining her ambition to represent India.

"I just hope BCCI looks into it and creates policies which are inclusive, fair, and dignified towards women’s sport, and I hope to win the World Cup for India one day. I want to win something for the country, and that's my dream," Bangar was quoted as saying by Odisha TV.

The challenges Bangar faced during her transition

Bangar's journey has been marked by significant personal challenges and resilience. She underwent Hormone Replacement Therapy in 2023 and completed gender-affirming surgery in Thailand in March 2026. Throughout this period, she faced considerable backlash and struggled to secure consistent support from various quarters.

"This journey was very tough. I had to deal with a lot of backlash, not just from the public, but within family as well. I got the bare minimum support, but I didn't feel fully supported during the whole journey," Bangar added.

The financial burden of her transition procedures forced Bangar into difficult circumstances. She lived in dressing rooms in the United Kingdom for approximately five months simply to survive and support herself during that period. Faced with limited resources, she turned to social media to raise funds and secure brand partnerships that would help finance her gender-affirming procedures.

"There was a certain period of time where I was living in dressing rooms in the UK just to survive and fend for myself. I was in that state for around five months. Eventually, I decided to come on social media to support myself and my surgeries. I got some brand deals and got my first few surgeries done, along with the gender-affirming procedures," Bangar said.

Bangar's current focus is on rebuilding herself as a competitive all-rounder in Australia and regaining her form through participation in community and Premier Cricket. She also hopes to earn an opportunity to play in the Women's Big Bash League, which would provide her with exposure at a higher level of competition.

The BCCI has not yet formulated a formal policy on this matter. As this is the first time the board has encountered such a case, it remains to take a formal stand on allowing transgender athletes in domestic cricket. Bangar's appeal underscores the need for clear, inclusive guidelines that would enable athletes like her to pursue their cricket careers within the Indian system.