Anaya Bangar, the transgender daughter of former Indian cricketer and coach Sanjay Bangar, has come forward with emotional and troubling revelations about her personal journey and the harassment she faced after transitioning.
Sharing her story on Instagram, Anaya revealed that she had always felt like a girl from a very young age. “From the age of 8 or 9, I felt I was a girl. I used to wear my mother’s clothes and look at myself in the mirror,” she said. However, due to her father’s status as a cricketer and coach, she had to hide her identity for many years.
Anaya also spoke about the harassment she faced after transitioning. She claimed that several cricketers sent her inappropriate pictures. “Some cricketers sent me indecent photos after I transitioned. One person publicly abused me and then asked for my pictures. A senior cricketer even tried something I don’t want to describe,” she said.
In an earlier post, Anaya also spoke about how deeply cricket has shaped her life. “From a young age, cricket has always been a part of my life. Growing up, I watched my dad with awe as he represented and coached the country, and it wasn’t long before I started dreaming about following in his footsteps. The passion, the discipline, and the dedication he showed to the sport were deeply inspiring to me. Cricket became my love, my ambition, and my future. I’ve spent my entire life honing my skills, hoping that one day I would get the chance to represent my country, just like him,” she wrote.
However, after transitioning, Anaya revealed she became a target of harassment. She claimed that several well-known cricketers sent her inappropriate images.
“Some cricketers sent me indecent photos after I transitioned. One person publicly abused me and then asked for my pictures. A senior cricketer even tried something I don’t want to describe. What hurts more is that there are no proper regulations for trans women in cricket. It feels like the system is forcing me out — not because I lack the drive or talent, but because the rules haven’t caught up with the reality of who I am. My testosterone levels are down to 0.5 nmol, the lowest it can be for an average cisgender woman. Despite this, I still don’t have a place to represent my country or play at a professional level as my authentic self,” she wrote.
Anaya also talked about the contradictions and obstacles in the system, and said, “To make matters worse, the system says that to compete in women’s sports, I should have transitioned before male puberty. But here’s the contradiction: society and the legal system make it illegal to transition as a minor. So, what am I supposed to do? The system is forcing me into an impossible situation — setting standards I couldn’t have met even if I’d wanted to. It’s heartbreaking that the body I’ve worked so hard to align with my true self is now seen as a barrier to continuing my cricket journey in the women’s category.”
“We need policies that don’t make us choose between our identity and our passions. Trans women deserve the right to compete, play, and thrive,” she added while also pointing out that the International Cricket Council (ICC) had implemented strict regulations in 2023, banning transgender women from participating in international women’s cricket. This decision, she said, had further complicated her aspirations of returning to the sport she loves.
Before her transition, Anaya — then known as Aryan — played alongside several well-known Indian cricketers such as Mushir Khan, Sarfaraz Khan and Yashasvi Jaiswal. She began hormone therapy in 2023 and completed her transition after 11 months.
