‘Scientific evidence to support my case’: Anaya Bangar hits back at critics, claims no ‘unfair advantage’

Transgender cricketer Anaya Bangar has responded to criticism of her participation in women’s cricket in Australia, saying she has scientific evidence to prove she does not have an unfair physical advantage.The daughter of former Indian cricketer and former batting coach Sanjay Bangar, Bangar played men’s age-group cricket for Mumbai before undergoing gender reassignment in 2022. She underwent gender confirmation surgery in March 2026.The 25-year-old has been cleared by Cricket Australia to play women’s cricket at community level in Australia, in accordance with its policies.Bangar told Britain’s Daily Mail that she wants to use the criticism surrounding her eligibility to create more awareness about transgender athletes and the process they go through.“I’m willing to take it and basically try to turn it into education and awareness, which I intend to do through my case and the many other people out there who have gone through the same process as me and don’t have any unfair advantage,” she said, according to the Daily Mail.“I think that’s where it’s all going to come down, and I hope people will eventually understand that.”As part of the research at the Manchester University Institute of Sport, Bangar was assessed after more than a year of hormone replacement therapy and testosterone suppression, the Daily Mail report said. The researchers tracked her lung capacity, performance and hemoglobin levels and compared the results to those of cisgender female athletes.Bangar said the measurements from the research fell within the range seen in cisgender female athletes.“Whatever the data indicated, it all fell within that range,” Bangar said.She said her arguments were based on research findings rather than her personal opinions.“I’m not speaking from personal feelings or opinions. I have real scientific evidence to support my case. My defense in this section is that not all trans women have an unfair advantage. It needs to be assessed on a case-by-case basis, just like Cricket Australia did with my case and I think it should be the same across the world.”