Trans women in women’s sport? Anaya Bangar's Cricket Australia move sparks fairness debate

Former India women’s captain Sandhya Agarwal and Olympian Dutee Chand take opposing positions on trans cricketer Anaya Bangar's inclusion in women's cricket.

Cricket Australia’s decision to give transgender cricketer Anaya Bangar a pathway to elite women’s cricket has reignited the fairness-versus-inclusion debate. We speak to former India women’s cricket captain Sandhya Agarwal and Olympian Dutee Chand, who take opposing positions on whether trans women should compete in women’s sport.

‘It will turn women’s cricket into a tamasha’

Cricket Australia has allowed Anaya Bangar a pathway into competitive women's cricket.

Former India women’s cricket captain Sandhya Agarwal calls the move unfair to women cricketers. “Their basic strength doesn’t just disappear nor does the skill they’ve developed over years of training,” she says, pointing to Bangar’s years in men’s age-group cricket. “If a female athlete transitioned and then wanted to represent men’s cricket, would that be accepted? Then why is this okay?” She adds that while domestic participation may be one thing, she opposes trans women representing a country at the international level. “It will turn women’s cricket into a complete tamasha.”

‘She has every right to play women’s cricket’

Olympian Dutee Chand, who underwent a controversial gender verification test in 2014 over naturally high testosterone levels and later successfully challenged athletics’ hyperandrogenism rules, backs the inclusion of trans women in women’s sport: “Those who have transitioned and changed their gender are no longer male, right? Thus, she has every right to play women’s cricket.” On concerns around physical advantage, Chand says hormone levels can be tested for compliance and adds, “Strength is natural; you cannot tell someone, ‘your body is too strong’ so you cannot compete with us’.” Chand, who came out publicly in 2019, was widely reported as India’s first openly gay athlete.

Anaya’s journey

2024: Moves to UK for hormone therapy

Mar 2026: Undergoes gender-affirming surgery

Aug 2026: Cleared for community/Premier women’s cricket; elite pathway from Mar 2027