New Delhi: Anaya Bangar has received clearance from Cricket Australia to return to women’s cricket, marking a significant step in her bid to resume her competitive cricket career.
Anaya, the daughter of former India cricketer and batting coach Sanjay Bangar, has been cleared to participate in women’s Premier/Community Cricket in Australia. She can pursue competitive cricket at that level while working towards the eligibility requirements for elite women’s cricket.
Elite cricket pathway opens from March 2027
According to Cricket Australia’s eligibility confirmation, Anaya’s determination to play elite women’s cricket from March 2027 will be subject to the applicable eligibility requirements.
One of the key conditions relates to testosterone levels. Under Cricket Australia’s transgender and gender-diverse players policy, players seeking eligibility for elite women’s cricket must meet the prescribed testosterone criteria. Reports citing the policy state that serum testosterone must remain below 10 nmol/L for at least 12 months. Anaya will also be required to provide a blood test when she arrives in Australia in March 2027 to confirm that she continues to meet the requirements.
Until then, she is eligible to participate in Premier Cricket competitions in any Australian state or territory, as these are classified as Community Cricket rather than Elite Cricket under Cricket Australia’s policy.
WBBL is an opportunity, not a guaranteed place
Anaya has spoken about her ambition to eventually play in the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL). However, Cricket Australia’s clearance should not be interpreted as a WBBL selection.
Anaya herself has acknowledged that she will still need to regain her physical and competitive form, perform in Australian cricket and convince a franchise that she can contribute to its squad.
The WBBL uses an overseas-player contracting and draft system, meaning Anaya would still have to earn an opportunity with a franchise.
Emotional return to cricket
Speaking about the development, Anaya described it as an “incredibly emotional” moment. She said there was a time when she believed she might never play cricket again.
Cricket has been an important part of her life since childhood, and she said the possibility of returning to competitive cricket represents much more than simply entering a women’s competition.
From Mumbai age-group cricket to Australia
Anaya has previous competitive cricket experience. She played age-group cricket in Mumbai and shared the field with players including Sarfaraz Khan and Musheer Khan.
She subsequently stepped away from competitive cricket during her transition and underwent gender-affirming surgery in March 2026. She has since been working on her fitness and cricketing skills with the aim of returning to the sport.
Different rules in international and Australian cricket
The development comes amid differing policies on transgender participation in cricket.
The ICC’s 2023 policy prevents transgender women who have undergone male puberty from participating in international women’s cricket. The BCCI has also been reported as following the ICC position for international cricket, while India’s domestic framework regarding transgender women in cricket has been described as lacking a clearly established public policy.
Cricket Australia, meanwhile, operates its own eligibility framework for elite domestic cricket. Under that framework, Anaya has been given a pathway to elite women’s cricket, subject to fulfilling the relevant criteria.
What happens next?
Anaya can now pursue women’s Premier/Community Cricket in Australia and work towards rebuilding her competitive career.
If she satisfies Cricket Australia’s elite eligibility requirements in March 2027, she could then pursue opportunities in elite domestic women’s cricket, including potentially the WBBL.
However, eligibility and selection are two different things: Cricket Australia’s decision gives her the opportunity to compete for an elite place, while a WBBL appearance would still depend on her performances and a franchise selecting or signing her.
