Anaya Bangar, the 23-year-old daughter of former Indian cricketer Sanjay Bangar, has been in the news after revealing the challenging and unaccepting atmosphere she encountered within the Indian cricket environment during her transition to a woman. Previously known as Aryan Bangar, Anaya is now a transgender woman and has shared her personal journey through platforms like Instagram and YouTube.
In an interview with the YouTube channel Lallantop, Anaya alleged that she faced harassment from several well-known Indian cricketers after coming out as transgender. In her words, she said the cricket world is filled with toxic masculinity. She claimed that some cricketers had sent her inappropriate pictures and described instances of verbal abuse. She also accused a veteran cricketer of asking her to sleep with him.
Anaya's transition has massively impacted her career, particularly in cricket. She has been vocal about the lack of inclusive policies for transgender athletes in professional sports. Despite the challenges, she continues to be passionate about cricket and has called for lawmakers to create policies that allow athletes to pursue their passions without having to compromise their identity.
She is currently living in Mumbai and has also expressed her disappointment over the International Cricket Council's (ICC) ruling barring transgender athletes from participating in women’s international cricket.