'This report may or may not be historic, may or may not bring a revolution in Indian cricket.'
Transgender cricketer Anaya Bangar has urged the BCCI and ICC to consider her inclusion in women's cricket, citing a UK-based study that finds her physical performance metrics now fall within cisgender female athletic norms -- following hormone therapy and months of elite-level training.
Anaya, former India international Sanjay Bangar's daughter, revealed that she underwent an eight-week research project at the Manchester Metropolitan University Institute of Sport, which measured her strength, stamina, haemoglobin levels, glucose, and overall performance capacity after three months of hormone therapy and rigorous training between January and March 2025.
'The goal was to evaluate how hormone therapy has affected my physical capabilities in direct comparison with cisgender female athletic standards,' Anaya shared on social media.
According to her, the findings showed that her power, muscle mass, stamina, oxygen levels, and lung capacity now fall within the typical cisgender female range.
Backed by this data, Anaya urged the BCCI and ICC to engage in formal discussions and 'collaborate with experts, athletes, and legal advisors to create policies that are both inclusive and competitive.'
'This report may or may not be historic, may or may not bring a revolution in Indian cricket,' she said.
'Science kehta hai main women's cricket ke liye eligible hoon. Ab sawaal yeh hai -- kya duniya tayyar hai sach sunne ke liye? (Science says I'm eligible to play women's cricket. The question is -- is the world ready to hear the truth?)'
Anaya's plea comes in the wake of stringent regulations by cricketing authorities.
The ICC currently bars transgender athletes who have undergone male puberty from participating in international women's cricket.
Earlier this year, the England and Wales Cricket Board also prohibited transgender women from competing in women's cricket across all levels in the UK.
Before her transition, Anaya played as Aryan, a promising talent who represented Mumbai U-16 and Pondicherry U-19.
© 2025