"I feel Viswanathan Anand is the next big player to get the award. The door is now open for him. The only thing that might go against him is that he stays most of the time in Spain," Ganguly said today.
"Bharat Ratna... It's the official recognition for Sachin Tendulkar in his glowing career," Ganguly said of the batting legend, who became the youngest and only sportsperson to be conferred with the honour.
"100 per cent... Everything has a beginning. It has definitely opened the gates for sportspersons who will now be inspired to get the Bharat Ratna," Ganguly told a Bengali news channel today.
Earlier, the country's second GM afer Anand, Dibyendu Barua, too said the chess wizard deserved the honour.