Cricketers sent me nudes, alleges Sanjay Bangar's trans-daughter Anaya; says father told her 'no place in sport'
Anaya Bangar, formerly Aryan, trans-daughter of former Indian cricketer and batting coach Sanjay Bangar, has made headlines after opening up about her gender transition and the painful realities she faced within the cricketing world.
As per reports, quoting ‘a candid interview with The Lallantop’, Anaya detailed her experience with rejection, sexual harassment, and the toxic masculinity embedded in the sport she once loved.
'Let’s go in your car, I want to sleep with you'
Anaya exposed disturbing instances of harassment from within the cricketing circle. She described “receiving unsolicited nude photos from fellow cricketers and shared how one senior player made sexual advances after learning of her transition”.
“Some cricketers randomly sent me nude pictures. One senior cricketer told me, ‘Let’s go in your car, I want to sleep with you,’ after I confided in him about my situation,” she told Lallantop host Saurabh Dwivedi.
She also revealed how a player who publicly humiliated her would later approach her privately, asking for photos. While she did not name anyone, Anaya hinted that one such incident took place at Yeshvi Cricket Academy in Pune.
'From promising cricketer to forced exit'
Anaya had a promising cricket career, having played alongside well-known names like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Musheer Khan, and Sarfaraz Khan. However, after undergoing hormone replacement therapy and gender-affirming surgery, her journey took a heartbreaking turn.
In the interview, which is available on the social media handles of ‘The Lallantop’, she revealed that her father, Sanjay Bangar, told her there was “no space” for her in cricket following her transition. While she didn’t wish to speak extensively about her family, she confirmed the comment and its emotional impact.
“I had to take a stand for myself. I experienced suicidal thoughts because it felt like the entire world was against me. After my transition, even basic opportunities and rights were no longer available to me,” she said.
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Anaya also shared that her journey had been difficult from the very beginning.
“I had to maintain secrecy about myself because my dad is a well-known figure. The cricket world is filled with insecurity and toxic masculinity,” she told Lallantop.
