Virat Kohli urges fans to vote for Sachin in Laureus Sporting Moment

Auckland, Feb 9:  Describing batting legend Sachin Tendulkar as a "friend, teammate, mentor and icon", India skipper Virat Kohli on Sunday urged everyone to vote for Tendulkar after he was shortlisted as one among five contenders for the greatest Laureus Sporting Moment 2000-2020 Award.

"A friend, teammate, mentor and icon. Let's all come together and vote for Sachin paaji for the Laureus Sporting Moment 2000-2020," Kohli said in a tweet.

The moment, titled 'Carried On the Shoulders Of A Nation', is a reference to the Indian team's 2011 World Cup win.

Tendulkar won the World Cup under Mahendra Singh Dhoni's captaincy in 2011 in Mumbai and was carried on the shoulders of his teammates in one of the lasting images of the country's sporting history. Kohli was among those who carried Tendulkar and later had famously said: "Tendulkar has carried the burden of the nation for 21 years; It was time we carried him."

The foundation has launched the Laureus Sporting Moment 2000-2020 for public voting, which gives fans the opportunity to choose the winner.

The winner will be announced during the Laureus World Sports Awards Show in Berlin on February 17.

The Indian team is currently in New Zealand and lost the three-match ODI series 2-0 on Saturday here. They take on the Kiwis for the third game, looking to pull one back and end on a high, on February 11 at Mount Maunganui. They have won the T20I series 5-0, and next play two Tests starting from February 21.