Former India cricketer Sanjay Bangar's son, Aryan, who now identifies as Anaya, recently shared her 10-month hormonal transformation journey on Instagram.
The 23-year-old, who underwent hormone replacement therapy (HRT), initially posted about her progress on social media, though the post was later deleted.
Like her father, Anaya is a left-handed batter who played for Islam Gymkhana in Mumbai's local cricket circuit before representing Hinckley Cricket Club in Leicestershire.
Reflecting on her journey, Anaya spoke about the challenges she faced both on and off the field, describing her personal transformation as her "greatest victory."
The caption from the deleted Instagram post read: "From early mornings on the field to facing the doubts and judgments of others, every step has demanded strength. But beyond the game, I had another journey. A path of self-discovery and a lot of challenges faced.
“Embracing my true self meant making hard choices, letting go of the comfort of fitting in, and standing up for who I am, even when it wasn’t easy. Today, I’m proud to be a part of the sport I love at any level or category ,not only as an athlete but as my authentic self. The road hasn’t been easy, but finding my true self has been the greatest victory of all."
In a separate post on the social media page, Anaya opened up on the "painful reality" of how the 'Hormone Replacement Therapy' affected her cricketing abilities. The post read: “As a trans woman on HRT, my body changed drastically. I've been losing the muscle mass, strength, muscle memory and athletic abilities I once relied on. The game I've loved for so long is slipping away from me.”