Anaya Bangar reacts with joy as CSK sign 'close friend' Sarfaraz Khan at IPL 2026 auction

Anaya Bangar, the child of former India batter Sanjay Bangar, shared a moment of joy after close friend Sarfaraz Khan secured an IPL return with Chennai Super Kings at the IPL 2026 mini-auction held in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.

Sarfaraz, who last featured in the IPL in 2023, was picked up by CSK at his base price of Rs 75 lakh. The signing marked a significant moment for the batter, who has endured repeated setbacks at the auction table in recent years. Soon after the announcement, Sarfaraz took to Instagram to express his gratitude, posting a video on his story with the message, “Thank you so much, CSK for giving me new life.”



Anaya reacted to CSK’s welcome post for Sarfaraz by dropping fire and clapping hand emojis in the comments, reflecting her excitement at the development.

The bond between the two goes back several years. During IPL 2025, Anaya had visited Sarfaraz’s residence to spend time with him and his family. She later shared pictures on social media featuring Sarfaraz and his father, Naushad Khan.

In a photo posted by Anaya, Sarfaraz mentioned that the friends were meeting after a gap of two to three years. Anaya captioned the post by recalling their early days, writing that they held bats before phones and had been friends since the beginning.

Last year, Anaya had publicly spoken about her personal journey following hormonal replacement therapy and gender reaffirming surgery. Formerly known as Aryan, Anaya is an athlete and had played age-group cricket, following in her father’s footsteps.

Sarfaraz, meanwhile, has backed his IPL comeback with strong performances on the domestic circuit. In the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he has scored 256 runs from six innings, averaging 64.00 with a strike-rate of 182.85.