Anaya Bangar, daughter of former India cricketer and ex-batting coach Sanjay Bangar, has opened up about facing harassment by cricketers during her gender transition.
Anaya Bangar, who transitioned from Aryan to Anaya, has made serious allegations of harassment by fellow cricketers during her gender transition.
In a candid interview, she described the unsolicited nude photos and verbal abuse she endured within the cricket ecosystem, shedding light on the darker side of her journey.
“There has been support and there have been some harassment as well… There have been a few cricketers who randomly sent me nude pictures of them,” Bangar said, recalling the difficulties of navigating her transition in a sport often associated with toxic masculinity.
Having begun her transition with Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), Anaya has openly advocated for greater inclusivity in cricket. Her experiences reflect not just personal battles but also systemic challenges within the sport.
“Cricket world is filled with insecurity and toxic masculinity,” she noted, detailing how she felt compelled to conceal her true identity while playing alongside prominent India players like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sarfaraz Khan, and Musheer Khan.
Anaya shared a troubling account of one cricketer who had harassed her in front of others, only to later request personal photographs. She also recalled a disturbing interaction with a veteran cricketer during a visit to India.
“There was another instance, when I was in India, I told a puraane (veteran) cricketer about my situation. He told me, ‘Let’s go in the car, I want to sleep with you,’” she revealed, recounting the shocking episode.
Her revelations come at a time when the conversation around inclusivity in cricket is intensifying.
Recently, the International Cricket Council (ICC) updated its eligibility rules, barring transgender women from competing in top-tier domestic and international women’s cricket.
Similarly, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has tightened its regulations for women’s cricket in Tiers 1 and 2, limiting transgender participation in the sport.
Anaya’s brave disclosure highlights the ongoing struggles for transgender individuals in professional sports, and her calls for change aim to challenge the toxic elements ingrained in cricket’s culture.