
'Held bats before phones': Anaya Bangar meets her best friend Sarfaraz Khan after three years
Anaya Bangar with Sarfaraz Khan and Naushad Khan. (Instagram)
New Delhi:
Anaya Bangar
, daughter of former India cricketer and coach
Sanjay Bangar
, on Tuesday paid a visit to her childhood friend
Sarfaraz Khan
. Sarfaraz and Anaya grew up playing cricket together in Mumbai.
The 25-year-old, who publicly came out last year and shared her journey of transformation through hormone replacement therapy and
gender-affirming surgery
, was formerly known as Aryan. She shared photos on Instagram chilling with Sarfaraz Khan's father Naushad, brother Moin, and his toddler son.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel.
SUBSCRIBE NOW!
"We held bats before we held phones. Friends since the beginning. Missed you @musheerkhan.97," she wrote on her Instagram.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Free P2,000 GCash eGift
UnionBank Credit Card
Apply Now
Undo
Sarfaraz even posted a story for Anaya and revealed his excitement about meeting his childhood friend after a gap of three years.
He said: "Today is a very special day. It's been a year since we bought the Thar. We modified the vehicle, and this day is also very special as I am meeting my best friend Anaya Bangar after three years," said Sarfaraz.
Last week, Anaya revealed facing harassment within the cricket world after her gender-affirming surgery. She received nude photos from cricketers and faced verbal abuse, including a proposition from a former player.
Who's that IPL player?
'There has been support, and there has been some harassment as well,' Anaya said during an interview with Lallantop, reflecting on her journey.
When asked how fellow cricketers responded after her gender-affirming surgery, Anaya said: 'There have been a few cricketers who randomly sent me nude pictures of themselves.'
She also shared more distressing experiences:
'The person used to give gaalis (slang for abuses) in front of everybody. The same person would then come and sit beside me and ask for my photos. There was another instance when I was in India, and I told a puraane (veteran) cricketer about my situation. He told me, 'Let's go in the car, I want to sleep with you.''
Get the latest
IPL 2025
updates on
Times of India
, including
match schedules
,
team squads
,
points table
and
IPL live score
for
CSK
,
MI
,
RCB
,
KKR
,
SRH
,
LSG
,
DC
,
GT
,
PBKS
, and
RR
. Don't miss the list of players in the race for
IPL Orange Cap
and
IPL Purple cap
.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Hindustan Times
25 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
11 caught in crush die amid celebrations over RCB title
A mega celebration of Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) maiden IPL title turned into a tragedy after 11 people were crushed to death and another 47 injured outside the M Chinnaswamy stadium on Wednesday evening, raising serious questions about police preparedness and organisational planning. Hundreds of thousands of people thronged the stadium since the afternoon, hoping to catch a glimpse of their cricket heroes who had won their first IPL trophy the previous night. As crowds swelled ahead of the 6pm event, the police closed all gates, even as fans climbed over cars and climbed trees, triggering the crush between 3.30 pm to 5pm. 'The crowd was beyond our control. Even though we had deployed force, it was too much. We had to resort to lathi charge at some points. The problem was the stadium gates were narrow, and the pressure of the crowd caused the tragedy,' said a senior police officer, requesting anonymity. Rakesh Prakash, a software engineer who was among those trying to get in, said, 'In the morning, we were told that passes could be purchased. Later, we were told they were being distributed at the stadium. So like me, many landed up here hoping to get a pass.' In a post on X ahead of the event, RCB asked fans to follow instructions by the administration and police, while announcing limited entry free tickets on its website. Among the dead were a software engineer, a 14-year-old girl and an engineering student. Many of the dead were young people, said chief minister Siddaramaiah. 'The Karnataka state cricket association had organised a programme for the victory celebration (at the stadium), there was also a programme from the government (at Vidhana Soudha). At the Chinnaswamy stadium, a big tragedy happened. Due to the stampede, 11 people have died and 33 have suffered 14 people have taken treatment at an outpatient facility. Such an incident should never have happened, and the government deeply regrets it,' he said. 'No one expected such a huge crowd…The stadium has a capacity of only 35,000 people, but 200,000-300,000 people came,' he added. 'There were over 1.5 lakh people at the gates, banging and eventually breaking through in some places. The attempt to enter the stadium resulted in the stampede.' Deputy CM DK Shivakumar said the crowd was 'absolutely uncontrollable'. Even as people were taken to hospitals and news of the tragedy trickled in, the organisers of the felicitation ceremony pressed on with the event inside the stadium; the team's social media account posted a video of cheering crowds as the bus full of the players —including Virat Kohli —waved back. But IPL chairman Arun Dhumal later clarified that the stadium officials didn't know about the stampede until later. The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), which manages the stadium, said it was saddened. RCB-KSCA announced a compensation of ₹5 lakh and the government ₹10 lakh. KSCA said in its statement that the event was organised by RCB. 'Immediately upon being made aware of the situation, we promptly amended our program, and followed the guidance and advice of the local administration,' RCB said in a statement. But questions lingered about the lack of preparedness and lax security arrangements for what was expected to be a blockbuster and emotional event. 'The crowd swelled to thousands near Gate 3 and surged forward. Many fell to the ground and were trampled. There were very few police around, and despite announcements asking people to go home and watch the event on TV, no one listened,' said Sathish Bhat, a civil engineer from Hennur, who had arrived around 5pm to attend the ceremony. SN Siddaraju, a bakery worker from Vijayanagara, said, 'Several individuals were found unconscious and were being given CPR by bystanders. Police faced immense challenges in controlling the crowd. Even they became helpless at one stage.' At Vydehi Hospital, resident medical officer Humera Sayeeda confirmed that four people were brought dead. 'Twelve others have sustained minor injuries and are being treated. Among the deceased, three are male and one is female. The cause appears to be suffocation,' she said. Seven deaths were reported at Bowring Hospital. Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the stampede as 'absolutely heartrending'. 'In this tragic hour, my thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones. I pray that those who are injured have a speedy recovery,' Modi said on X. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said the turn of events was shocking. 'This is a negative side of popularity. People are crazy for their cricketers. The organisers should have planned it better,' BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said. The BJP blamed the Congress government, calling the incident a result of administrative failure. Karnataka BJP chief B Y Vijayendra said, 'The stampede scenes during RCB's victory celebrations are not just tragic, they are a damning indictment of the Congress government. This happened because of mismanagement.' In response, Siddaramaiah said, 'I do not want to play politics in this case. I don't want to play politics. That is why even though there was an unexpected crowd, we have ordered a magisterial probe. I will give 15 days time for this report' The day had begun on a cheery note after RCB broke an 18-year-long jinx to win their first IPL title on Tuesday night, defeating Punjab Kings by 6 runs. The team landed at the HAL airport at 2.35pm, and were received by Shivakumar. The first felicitation ceremony was organised by the state government at the Vidhana Soudha around 4.30pm. 'In front of Vidhana Soudha, nearly one lakh people gathered, but no such incident occurred as there was enough open space. At the stadium, the gates were too small. We assumed a slightly larger crowd than the stadium's capacity, but two to three lakh people showed up,' said the police officer cited above. A plan to hold a roadshow between the Vidhana Soudha and the stadium – a distance of 1.5km – was nixed by the Bengaluru Police earlier in the day, citing security concerns. Television visuals showed police rushing away from crowds carrying young children in their arms, who had seemingly fainted. Others were stretched out on the ground and emergency personnel carried people into ambulances, while celebrations inside the stadium continued.


Time of India
35 minutes ago
- Time of India
NFL player Jake McQuaide causes scene in church, demands answers in archdiocese porn scandal—escorted out by police
NFL long snapper Jake McQuaide challenges church mid-Mass over shocking porn claims, gets removed (Getty Images) NFL players often make headlines for their performances on the field, but former Rams long snapper Jake McQuaide made waves for a completely different reason — and in a place far from any football stadium. On a quiet Saturday morning at Our Lady of the Visitation Church in Green Township, Ohio, McQuaide stood up during Mass and demanded answers from the Cincinnati Archdiocese regarding troubling rumors about clergy misconduct. Tense moment as NFL's Jake McQuaide interrupts church to confront clergy in pornography scandal probe It was an extraordinary moment for a man whose professional career has been built on consistency and discretion. Long snappers rarely find themselves in the spotlight, but McQuaide — a two-time Pro Bowler and veteran of 14 NFL seasons — didn't hesitate to speak out when he felt silence had gone on long enough. The confrontation occurred as Jason Williams, chancellor of the Cincinnati Archdiocese, was reading a prepared letter from Archbishop Robert Casey. The letter addressed controversial claims that two priests had allegedly accessed pornography using a parish computer. While the statement emphasized that 'no wrongdoing — either criminally or ecclesiastically — has been substantiated,' McQuaide wasn't content to let the issue rest there. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trading CFD dengan Teknologi dan Kecepatan Lebih Baik IC Markets Mendaftar Undo Ex-Rams long snapper sparks chaos in Mass, demands justice in archdiocese's porn scandal (Credit: USA Today Sports) 'Please take a second. We want to put these rumors to rest. Can you answer this for me, fact or fiction?' McQuaide asked, invoking the spirit of Sister Aloysius from the 2008 film Doubt. He continued, 'Did the priest use our parish computer to look at pornography? …True or false? True or false?' "You can look at pornography at your house, but you cannot do it here.' A tense moment unfolded in the sanctuary as churchgoers looked on. When someone at the altar suggested it wasn't the right time or place, McQuaide responded, 'I'm sorry, sir, this is the time and the place. I will stand up.' His outburst was met with swift action — two Green Township police officers escorted him out. However, no charges were filed. At the center of the controversy is a report made earlier this year by church member Todd Zureick. According to a WCPO investigation and a report in the Cincinnati Enquirer, Zureick claimed to have seen explicit thumbnails and links to disturbing VR role-play content involving sexual assault and occult themes on a church-owned laptop. The allegations were serious enough to merit an internal investigation, but the church maintained that nothing criminal or ecclesiastically inappropriate had been found. 'Like gossip, the spreading of rumors is sinful, and we should all work to overcome this tendency of our fallen human nature,' the letter from Archbishop Casey read. Yet for McQuaide, who grew up in the area and attended Elder High School — a Catholic institution within the same diocese — the issue seemed too serious to ignore. With 197 NFL games under his belt, and a reputation built on discipline and precision, McQuaide's decision to speak out publicly speaks volumes about his personal convictions. Also Read: 'Die for playing with my son': Offset threatens violence after Stefon Diggs debuts matching braids with Cardi B's son


Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Death at a stadium
RCB celebrations turned into a tragedy yesterday, but it was an entirely preventable one Life is cheap in India, it is commonly said. It feels cruel. It also feels true all too often. How true it is of what happened at M Chinnaswamy Stadium yesterday. Royal Challengers Bengaluru fans had waited 18 years for their team to win the IPL trophy. Their excitement was palpable even to those watching from far cities, Delhi to London. Dream fulfilled, mission accomplished, nirvana…the rejoicing messages were unending. Siddaramaiah to DK Shivakumar to HD Kumaraswamy to Vijayendra Yediyurappa…proud cheers poured in from across the state's political spectrum. Ee Sala Cup Namde! This year the cup is ours. That massive numbers would pour into any celebratory space was a no-brainer. Then came the stampede. And the deaths. Of course these were entirely preventable. Bengaluru traffic police had initially said that the victory parade was cancelled and then said it had made 'preparations in case it happens'. If it had indeed done so, the stadium wouldn't have gotten packed far beyond capacity. Indeed, various authorities could have actioned steps to prevent uncontrollable crowds from approaching the venue. The Bengaluru metro was running overcrowded, for example, issuing frequent warning announcements. Social media was also full of live images and videos that should have initiated safety measures in various control rooms. Every part of govt seemed to have participated in cheering the RCB victory. Which part of it will take responsibility for turning the cheers into tears? Just over the past year, we have seen stampedes take lives of Kumbh travellers at the New Delhi railway station, at a Dalit gathering in Hathras, a devotees queue in Tirupati, a Pushpa 2 promotional event in Hyderabad, and the list continues. Because basic crowd management is missing, ordinary activities are always on the edge of a deadly pileup. Govt doesn't do its job, and citizens pay with their lives. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email This piece appeared as an editorial opinion in the print edition of The Times of India.