Bangar received approval from CA to play in Premier Cricket events in any Australian state or territory.
Bangar stated that the approval allows her to pursue a spot in the Women's Big Bash League. Her eligibility determination for top women's cricket in Australia is scheduled to take effect in March 2027. But she emphasized that eligibility does not equate to a WBBL contract.
“I am now eligible to play in the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) in Australia from March 2027 onwards. For me, this is incredibly emotional because there was a point when I genuinely believed I had lost cricket forever. Cricket has been such a fundamental part of my identity since childhood, and having to step away from the sport after my transition was one of the hardest things I experienced. So this isn’t simply about being included in a women’s league. It represents the possibility of returning to the sport I deeply love,” Bangar told Bombay Times.
After not hearing back from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) regarding her ability to compete as a transgender athlete, she relocated to Cricket Australia. According to a 2023 rule, trans athletes who have experienced male puberty are prohibited from competing at the elite level of women's cricket by the ICC, the highest body in the sport.
However, in order to be allowed to play elite cricket, a player's testosterone must be less than 10 nmol/L (nanomoles per liter) for a full year, according to Cricket Australia's Transgender and Gender Diverse Players in Elite Cricket Policy.
“Cricket Australia has allowed me to pursue elite women’s cricket in Australia. The next challenge is to get myself into the best possible physical and competitive shape and put myself in a position to be considered by a WBBL franchise. I still have to train, compete, perform, and earn that opportunity,” she added.
Bangar cited the WBBL's overseas-player system as an example of the route.
“The WBBL has an overseas-player contracting and draft system, where clubs select from the pool of available international players, as it happens in the IPL or the WPL. So ultimately, I still have to convince a franchise that I can contribute to their team,” she said.
For Bangar, this entails going back to competitive cricket in Australia and honing her batting, bowling, fielding, and fitness skills while demonstrating her ability to play at the necessary level. There would be more emotion involved in the possibility of ultimately playing Indian players.
“I grew up watching and playing cricket in India, so facing Indian players in an Australian women’s competition would be a very emotional moment for me,” Bangar said.
She also talked about the uncertainty she had and her need for a more defined route to keep playing cricket.
“When you grow up playing cricket competitively, the idea of potentially never being able to play again is incredibly difficult. But I’ve also learned that I can’t build my future around waiting for somebody else to make a decision,” she said. “I’m grateful that I have a pathway in Australia, and I hope that my journey can contribute to a broader conversation about how sporting bodies can approach transgender participation with both fairness and inclusion,” she added.
In its eligibility confirmation to Bangar, Cricket Australia stated that changes to its transgender and gender-diverse player policy would not impact her March 2027 decision. Additionally, it verified that she is now qualified to compete in Premier Cricket events in any Australian state or territory.