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In a bold and emotional revelation that has sent shockwaves through the Indian cricketing fraternity, Anaya Bangar — the transgender daughter of former Indian cricketer and national team coach Sanjay Bangar — has spoken out about the deep-rooted toxic culture and harassment she endured during her transition journey within the sport. Once known as Aryan Bangar, Anaya shared her painful experiences in an interview with The Lallantop, highlighting how the world of cricket, often glamorized as noble and disciplined, masked a darker undercurrent of toxic masculinity and sexual misconduct.
Anaya Bangar’s shocking revelation about receiving lewd offers
Opening up about her personal struggles, Anaya disclosed being subjected to disturbing advances by senior cricketers, including requests for nude photographs and unsolicited lewd messages. “I want to sleep with you,” she recalled being told by a senior player, recounting an incident that took place at Yeshvi Cricket Academy in Pune — a place meant to nurture young talent, not traumatize it.
Despite not naming the perpetrators, her testimony painted a damning picture of the cricketing ecosystem that fails to protect its own. What should have been a journey of athletic pursuit became one of navigating fear, secrecy, and survival. “I had to hide my identity because my dad is a well-known figure,” Anaya added, underlining how status and reputation often overshadow justice and accountability.
Anaya breaking free from the pitch
Anaya’s cricketing career began promisingly. Like her father, she played for Islam Gymkhana and later joined Hinckley Cricket Club in Leicestershire, England. On the field, she was a left-handed batter, sharing nets and dressing rooms with notable names like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Musheer Khan, and Sarfaraz Khan. Off the field, however, she was fighting a silent, internal battle for identity and acceptance.
At just eight or nine years old, Anaya recalled wearing her mother’s clothes and affirming in the mirror, “I am a girl. I want to be a girl.” Her story is not just one of athletic promise but of courage in self-realization and transition amidst an unwelcoming environment. She embarked on hormone replacement therapy and gender reaffirming surgery, a journey not only emotional but socially and professionally isolating.
The International Cricket Council’s 2023 ruling that transgender women cannot play women’s cricket at the international level further narrowed Anaya’s path. While the ICC stated its intent to “protect the integrity” of the women’s game, for Anaya, and many like her, it felt like another door closing.
Her story is a wake-up call — not just for cricket, but for every sport that prides itself on values like respect, fairness, and integrity. It questions the inclusivity of institutions that often ignore or silence voices that challenge their traditions.
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