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Mumbai: Anaya Bangar has sent a strong message to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)expressing her ambition to one day win the World Cup for India after Cricket Australia opened a pathway for her to return to professional women’s cricket.

The daughter of former India cricketer and coach Sanjay Bangar, Anaya has gone through a difficult journey since beginning her transition in 2022. She has now received an opportunity to pursue competitive women’s cricket in Australia after Cricket Australia cleared her for selection at the community level, creating a possible route towards the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL).

Speaking to India Today, Anaya said she hoped the BCCI would consider creating policies that are inclusive, fair and dignified towards women’s sport. Her ultimate ambition, she said, is the same as that of many Indian cricketers — to represent the country and win a World Cup.

Anaya dreams of winning World Cup for India

Anaya’s latest comments come at a significant point in her cricketing journey.

After years away from competitive cricket, she has now been given a pathway to potentially return to the professional game. Cricket Australia’s decision has given her renewed confidence that she can continue pursuing the sport she loves.

Her immediate objective is to establish herself through club cricket in Australia. From there, she hopes strong performances could eventually put her in contention for the Women’s Big Bash League.

But Anaya’s ambitions extend beyond club or domestic cricket.

She has made it clear that her long-term dream is to represent India and win a World Cup.

“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,” Anaya said in her interaction with India Today.

The statement places her aspirations firmly at the international level, while also highlighting her appeal to the BCCI to consider a policy framework for transgender athletes in women’s cricket.

A difficult road back to cricket

Anaya’s return to cricket has followed an extremely challenging period in her life.

She began her transition in 2022 and underwent gender-affirming surgery in March 2026. During the process, she said she faced criticism and struggled with a lack of support.

According to Anaya, there was a period when she was living in cricket dressing rooms in the United Kingdom simply to survive.

She said that situation continued for around five months before she turned to social media to support herself financially.

Anaya subsequently secured brand deals that helped her fund surgeries and other expenses associated with her transition.

“There was a certain period of time where I was living in dressing rooms in the UK just to survive and fend for myself,” she said.

The experience, she said, was isolating and brutal, but also helped make her stronger and more confident.

Cricket Australia provides a pathway

The major breakthrough came when Cricket Australia allowed Anaya to participate at the community shield level.

The decision followed her approach to Cricket Australia’s Head of Integrity, Jacqui Partridge, in June after she learnt about the country’s policy concerning transgender participation in women’s cricket.

The process provided her with a route back into competitive cricket after she had begun to believe that playing the sport professionally might no longer be possible.

Anaya had earlier said that Cricket Australia’s response was very different from the one she experienced when she approached the BCCI.

She described the BCCI’s lack of response as disappointing and heartbreaking and expressed hope that the Indian board would eventually develop policies around transgender participation.

Anaya seeks BCCI policy change

The BCCI now remains an important part of Anaya’s hopes for the future.

She has previously approached the Indian board seeking assistance in finding a route into India’s women’s cricket set-up. According to her account, she did not receive a substantive response.

Anaya believes that her case could help initiate a wider discussion about transgender athletes and women’s cricket in India.

She has also expressed her willingness to share the experiences and information gathered during her own journey if the BCCI decides to examine the issue.

In an earlier interaction, she said she would be happy to provide insights that could help the board consider what might work for Indian women’s sport in the future.

Her latest appeal is therefore not simply about her own career. She is also asking the governing body to consider a broader policy framework.

ICC rules remain a major factor

The issue comes against the backdrop of existing international regulations.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced a policy in 2023 that prevents transgender women who have undergone male puberty from participating in international women’s cricket, regardless of whether or not they have subsequently undergone surgery.

That policy means Anaya’s route to international cricket remains complicated.

Even if she establishes herself in domestic cricket, participation in international women’s cricket would depend on the applicable regulations.

Her focus at present, therefore, is on rebuilding her career step by step rather than immediately targeting the international stage.

From survival mode to competitive cricket

Anaya has described the past few years as a period of survival.

In a recent interview with PTI, she said transitioning while being a trans-athlete in the current political climate had been isolating. She also said solitude helped her cope with the difficulties she experienced.

Her family provided support for necessities, but she said the emotional journey was largely one she experienced on her own.

Despite the difficulties, she believes the experience has made her stronger and wiser.

The opportunity provided by Cricket Australia has now allowed her to shift her focus from simply surviving to competing again.

That change is significant for a player who once believed she might never return to cricket.

Club cricket is the next step

Anaya’s immediate goal is to find the right cricket club and begin playing regularly.

She is currently in talks with a few clubs and is waiting to determine where she will continue her cricketing journey.

The next stage will be about performance.

She has said that she wants to take “baby steps” from this point, beginning with club cricket and attempting to prove herself through her performances.

A strong run at the club level could potentially give her an opportunity to be considered for the Women’s Big Bash League.

For now, getting back onto the cricket field is the biggest milestone.

WBBL could become a major opportunity

The Women’s Big Bash League is one of the leading women’s T20 competitions in the world.

For Anaya, reaching the WBBL would represent a significant progression from the community-level pathway she has now been given.

However, selection would still depend on her performances and the relevant competition regulations.

She is therefore approaching the opportunity cautiously, with an emphasis on rebuilding her career gradually.

The immediate objective is not to skip stages but to establish herself through performances.

Her earlier appeal to BCCI

Anaya had already made her position known to the BCCI and ICC in 2025.

At the time, she shared an eight-page athlete testing report following hormone replacement therapy and said the assessments compared several physiological parameters with those of cisgender female athletes.

She used the report to argue that her case should be considered on the basis of scientific data rather than assumptions.

The BCCI and ICC have not adopted a policy that would enable transgender women who fall under the ICC restriction to compete in international women’s cricket.

That regulatory environment remains an important part of the discussion surrounding her aspirations.

A journey shaped by resilience

Anaya’s story has involved cricket, transition, family dynamics, financial challenges and a prolonged period away from competitive sport.

She has acknowledged receiving backlash from both the public and within her family.

At the same time, she has spoken about the importance of the people who did support her and the role that self-reliance played during the most difficult periods.

Her experience of living in dressing rooms in the UK for several months illustrates the financial and personal challenges she faced while trying to rebuild her life.

Social media eventually became an important source of financial support, with brand partnerships helping her fund medical procedures and continue her journey.

From Sanjay Bangar’s child to a cricketer building her own path

Anaya is the child of former India batter and coach Sanjay Bangar, who represented India in Test cricket and later held prominent coaching roles.

However, her current journey is focused on establishing her own identity as a cricketer.

Her ambition to play women’s cricket comes after a period in which she had stepped away from the sport she loved.

The opportunity in Australia has allowed her to once again think about competitive cricket rather than simply watching from the sidelines.

Her performances from this point will determine how far the journey goes.

What lies ahead

Anaya’s pathway back into professional cricket is only beginning.

The first priority is to join a club, regain competitive rhythm and demonstrate her abilities on the field.

If she performs well, she could potentially move towards higher levels of domestic competition, including the WBBL.

Her larger ambition of playing for India remains dependent on future policy decisions and the regulations governing transgender participation in women’s cricket.

For the BCCI, her case presents questions around policy, inclusion and the future framework for transgender athletes in Indian women’s sport.

Conclusion

Anaya Bangar has renewed her call for the BCCI to consider an inclusive policy framework after Cricket Australia provided her with a pathway back into competitive women’s cricket.

The cricketer has endured a difficult period since beginning her transition in 2022, including a five-month period when she said she lived in cricket dressing rooms in the United Kingdom to survive. She later turned to social media and brand partnerships to support herself and fund gender-affirming procedures.

Now, with the possibility of progressing towards the Women’s Big Bash League, Anaya is once again focused on cricket.

Her immediate plan is to play club cricket and prove herself through performances. Her larger dream, however, is to represent India and win a World Cup.

Whether that ambition can eventually become reality will depend not only on her cricketing performances but also on the policies and regulations governing transgender participation in women’s cricket.

For now, Anaya’s journey has moved from survival towards a return to the game she has always wanted to play.