NEW DELHI: Anaya Bangar, daughter of former Indian cricketer and coach Sanjay Bangar, not too long ago opened up concerning the “poisonous masculinity” that continues to pervade the cricketing world. Final 12 months, she spoke publicly for the primary time about her journey of transformation, which included hormone substitute remedy and gender-affirming surgical procedure. Previously often called Aryan, Anaya had adopted in her father’s footsteps by enjoying age-group cricket. Nonetheless, she admitted that persevering with her cricketing profession after transitioning got here with quite a few challenges.
In an interview with Lallantop, Anaya was requested, “When do you get to grasp that ‘I’m within the improper chosen gender?'”

She responded: “For me it was once I was eight or 9 years previous, I used to select garments from my mother’s cabinet and put on them. Then, I used to look into the mirror and say, ‘I’m a lady. I need to be a lady.'”
Reflecting on her cricketing journey, Anaya stated: “I performed with some well-known cricketers now like Musheer Khan, Sarfaraz Khan, Yashasvi Jaiswal. I needed to keep secrecy about myself as a result of dad is a well-known determine. Cricket world is full of insecurity and poisonous masculinity.”
She was additionally requested how fellow cricketers reacted after her gender-affirmation surgical procedure.

“There was assist and there have been some harassment as properly,” Anaya shared.
When requested concerning the form of harassment she confronted, Anaya revealed: “There have been a number of cricketers who randomly despatched me nude footage of them.”
She went on to recount additional troubling experiences: “The particular person used to present gaalis in entrance of everyone. The identical particular person then used to return and sit beside me and ask for my photographs. There was one other occasion, once I was in India, I advised a puraane (veteran) cricketer about my scenario. He advised me let’s go within the automobile, I need to sleep with you.”

Similar to her father, who represented India in 12 Checks and 15 ODIs between 2001 and 2004, Anaya additionally performed cricket. She has performed for Islam Gymkhana in native membership cricket and has additionally represented Hinckley Cricket Membership in Leicestershire.
Nonetheless, in November 2023, the Worldwide Cricket Council (ICC) introduced a brand new coverage barring transgender athletes from collaborating in girls’s worldwide cricket.
“Inclusivity is extremely essential to us as a sport, however our precedence was to guard the integrity of the worldwide girls’s recreation and the protection of gamers,” then-ICC CEO Geoff Allardice had stated in a press release.
Reacting to the choice, Anaya shared an in depth submit on Instagram, expressing her disappointment over the brand new rule.

She at the moment resides in the UK.