Which leagues Anaya Bangar can play? WBBL eligibility and cricket rules explained
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Anaya Bangar eligible to play in Australia, now the question is, will she play in WBBL? (Image Credit – X)
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Anaya Bangar’s journey back to competitive cricket has taken an important step in Australia. The 24-year-old has received clearance from Cricket Australia (CA) to play women’s cricket at the community level. However, the clearance comes with certain restrictions.
Bangar can play Premier Cricket in Australia immediately, but her path to elite and international cricket remains limited under current rules.
Who is Anaya Bangar?
Anaya Bangar is a 24-year-old cricketer who previously played age-group cricket for Mumbai. She played alongside players such as Sarfaraz Khan and Musheer Khan during her time in Mumbai’s Under-19 setup.
She is also the daughter of former India all-rounder and men’s batting coach Sanjay Bangar. Bangar began her transition after playing age-group cricket in men’s cricket.
She underwent gender-affirming surgery four months ago and has since been working towards returning to competitive cricket.
What has Cricket Australia decided?
Bangar contacted Cricket Australia in June to ask about her eligibility to play women’s cricket. CA has now allowed her to participate in Premier Cricket competitions in Australia.
The decision covers Premier Cricket competitions across Australia’s states and territories. The key point is that Premier Cricket comes under Community Cricket, rather than the Elite Cricket category.
Because of this classification, the restrictions that apply to elite women’s cricket do not currently prevent her from playing Premier Cricket.
Where can Anaya Bangar play?
Bangar can play in Premier Cricket competitions in any state or territory in Australia. Premier Cricket is considered the highest level of club cricket in Australia’s states. It also serves as an important pathway towards state and national cricket.
Bangar is still recovering from her surgery and is currently looking for a club where she can continue her cricket career.
Can Anaya Bangar play elite women’s cricket?
This is where the situation becomes more complicated. Cricket Australia’s decision allows Bangar to play Premier Cricket, but it does not automatically give her access to elite women’s competitions.
According to the information provided, she remains eligible for Premier Cricket until March 2027 under the current determination. Her eligibility for higher-level competitions will be governed by different rules.
What is ICC’s rule on transgender players?
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has its own policy for international women’s cricket. Under the ICC policy introduced in 2023, transgender women who have gone through male puberty are not eligible to play in the elite women’s international game.
This means Bangar would currently not be eligible to represent a country in international women’s cricket under the ICC rules. Her ability to play club cricket in Australia therefore does not mean she can play international cricket.
What is the BCCI’s position?
The situation in India is different because the BCCI does not currently have a clearly defined policy covering transgender women in women’s domestic cricket, according to the information provided.
Bangar reportedly contacted the BCCI seeking clarity on the eligibility rules. She has not received a response so far.
She had also publicly sought discussions with the BCCI and ICC about creating a data-based policy for transgender athletes.
Could Anaya Bangar play in the WBBL?
Bangar’s current clearance is for Premier Cricket. According to the supplied information, she could potentially become eligible for the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) from 2027, depending on the rules and any future eligibility decision.
For now, her immediate focus is on returning to club cricket and continuing her development.
Why is this decision important?
Bangar’s case highlights the different rules that exist at different levels of cricket. She can now return to competitive cricket through Australia’s community-level system.
However, international cricket remains unavailable to her under the current ICC policy. India also has yet to formally decide how transgender women would be treated within its domestic women’s cricket system.
This means Bangar’s cricketing future could depend not only on her performances but also on the policies of different cricket boards and governing bodies.
First published on: Aug 26, 2026 07:30 AM IST
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