Anaya Bangar had almost made peace with the thought of never playing cricket again. But after a difficult journey since beginning her transition in 2022, the 25-year-old has finally found a way back to the sport she loves.
That journey, however, has not been easy. Anaya, the daughter of former India all-rounder Sanjay Bangar, revealed that when she approached the BCCI hoping to become part of the India women’s cricket setup, she was met with silence.
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In an interview with news agency PTI, Anaya spoke about the challenges she faced as a trans athlete and the loneliness that came with her transition. She eventually found an opportunity in Australia, where Cricket Australia cleared her to compete at the community shield level.
For Anaya, the decision has opened a door that she once believed was permanently closed.
“…when you’re transitioning, and when you’re a trans-athlete, during this political climate in this world, it can get very isolating. You feel very lonely, you feel like there’s no one who really understands out there,” she told PTI.
“Everyone out there is trying to give you solutions, when you know that your own case is the right one. You know what is happening with you is injustice. So, during all of this, just the fact of being with myself, solitude has helped me a lot throughout all this,” the left-arm spin bowling all-rounder added.
Anaya began her transition in 2022, and the journey culminated in gender-affirming surgery in March this year. During this period, she had no idea whether she would ever be able to return to competitive cricket.
Despite the criticism and scepticism surrounding her return, Anaya remains determined to continue playing the game. She believes that greater awareness and education can help people understand her journey.
“Right now, just hearing the news about Cricket Australia clearing me, and basically providing me a path to play women’s cricket, to play cricket as who I am is huge for me.”
Anaya said she is grateful to her family for supporting her with the necessities, although she felt that much of the emotional battle had to be faced on her own.
She had once stopped believing that a return to cricket was possible. Instead, she decided to put herself out there and see where the journey took her.
“To be honest, emotionally, it’s just been all by myself, but I’m grateful for the support for the necessities that I had from my family. I never thought that I’ll be able to get (to) play cricket ever since the day I started transitioning. I just tried to put myself out there and see what happens, and whatever works, works. And throughout all this, I think the universe has backed me a lot, and here we are,” she said.