After getting a cricket lifeline, Anaya Bangar dreams of winning the World Cup for India

After getting a lifeline in cricket, Anaya Bangar said her dream is to play for India and win the Women’s World Cup. Anaya, daughter of former Indian cricketer and coach Sanjay Bangar, was Cricket Australia got a chance to compete in the community and Premier Cricket while keeping the prospect of elite cricket firmly on the horizon from March 2027.

Anaya called the decision a significant step on her journey, but acknowledged that the permit alone won’t guarantee her a top-level spot. She is now focused on returning to competitive cricket in Australia and getting the opportunity to play in the Women’s Big Bash League.

Speaking to India Today in an exclusive interview, Anaya said that she hopes the BCCI will strive to create a policy that is inclusive, fair and dignified towards women’s cricket.

She said her aim is to win big trophies with the Indian team.

“I just hope that BCCI will look at it and make a policy that will be inclusive, fair and dignified towards women’s sports and I hope to win the World Cup for India one day. And that’s what I want to do. For example, I want to win something for the country and that’s my dream,” Anaya said.

‘LIVED IN THE CLOTHING IN THE UK’

Anaya revealed that her journey back to cricket was anything but smooth. She said she faced opposition from her family and was not fully supported.

“This journey has been very difficult. I’ve had to deal with a lot of backlash, not only from the public, but also within my family. I’ve had minimal support, but like, I haven’t felt fully supported throughout the journey,” Anaya said.

Anaya also revealed that she was in survival mode, living in dressing rooms in the UK in an attempt to fend for herself. She then started using social media to support herself and performed her first few surgeries with it.

Anaya also said that the journey, while isolated and brutal, helped her become more confident and strong.

“There was a period of time when I was living in dressing rooms in the UK just to survive and to take care of myself. I was, I was in that state for about 5 months, then I finally decided to come out on social media to promote myself and my surgeries. So I did. I got a few brand deals. I did the first few surgeries, along with the gender-affair stuff.”

“And it’s been a crazy ride, to be honest. It’s isolated me, it’s been brutal, but through it all, being alone has helped me a lot and it’s made me so confident and strong, which I feel,” Anaya said.

for Anaya, receiving permission from CA is just the first step on a much longer journey. Her priority now is to get back on the cricket field, rediscover her rhythm as an all-rounder and work towards a chance at the WBBL.

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Published on:

29 Aug 2026 21:03 IST