Trans Indian player Bangar reborn after Aussie lifeline

Anaya Bangar feels reborn after Cricket Australia (CA) handed the transgender Indian player the chance to revive a sporting dream she feared was slipping away after doors closed on her back home.

CA's decision to clear Bangar to play elite women's cricket from March next year gave the 25-year-old a chance. She now hopes to play in Australia's Women's Big Bash League eventually (WBBL).

"It feels like my life is back," Bangar, who underwent sex reassignment surgery in March, told Reuters.

"I'd lost hope or had stopped believing that something like this might happen in my lifetime.

"The day I found out, I was blank. I didn't know how to react, what to say, what not to say. It was just there and it took me a while to process, but here we are."

Bangar, daughter of former India men's all-rounder Sanjay Bangar, found her options limited in 2023 when the International Cricket Council (ICC) banned anyone who has gone through male puberty from women's cricket.

Australia, though, has a policy that allows transgender players to participate in women's cricket at community level and offers a path to compete at the elite level if they fulfil certain criteria.

Melbourne Stars' South Africa women's international Marizanne Kapp said CA's decision was "absolutely ridiculous", reflecting concerns over fairness in women's sport that have caused several global governing bodies to impose bans similar to the ICC's.

Kapp has extensive experience in the WBBL, and is in the midst of a three-season contract with the Stars.

Bangar, who played as a top-order batter and all-rounder in male age-group cricket in Mumbai, said her transition had left her without any advantage over the players she would be competing against in elite women's cricket.

"I'm trying to put my story, evidence, body and medical data out there," Bangar said.

"If you don't actually want to read into that and just base your opinions or assumptions on your own experience, then it's coming from a lack of acknowledgement and ignorance as well."

"Most of the things I've done have been because of me. Family was there for basic needs and survival but when it came to the necessary steps and emotional support, it was just me. My father, however, helped me with the surgeries and everything."

Bangar hopes one day to play in the WBBL and India's Women's Premier League (WPL) and to represent her country.