Cricketing icon Sachin Tendulkar has been shortlisted as one of the 20 contenders for the greatest Laureus Sporting Moment 2000-2020 Award.

The moment, titled 'Carried On the Shoulders Of A Nation', is a reference to the Indian cricket team’s 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup triumph.

Sachin Tendulkar is carried on his teammates' shoulders after India defeated Sri Lanka in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 final. - AFP

In his sixth attempt, Tendulkar finally tasted success in 2011 as the Indian team beat Sri Lanka by six wickets. Carried on the shoulders of the Indian team, Tendulkar made a lap of honour, shedding tears of joy after the victory was sealed in his home city of Mumbai.

Former Australia captain Steve Waugh, who is a member of the Laureus Academy, described Tendulkar’s nomination as a fantastic moment for cricket. “It is fantastic for our sport. It is very hard to get nominated for Laureus. It was a remarkable achievement (2011) and Indian cricket is doing fantastic,” Waugh told PTI.

He added, “I remember when we won the Laureus Sports Team of the Year (2002). It was a great moment for Australian cricket.”

Sachin Tendulkar was India's leading run-scorer of the 2011 World Cup with 482 runs at an average of 53.55 including two centuries. - THE HINDU PHOTO ARCHIVES

The foundation has launched the Laureus Sporting Moment 2000-2020 to public vote, which gives fans opportunity to choose one of the winners of the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards. The voting takes place between January 10 and February 16, with the winner being announced during the Laureus World Sports Awards Show on February 17 in Berlin.

The 20th anniversary Laureus World Sports Awards will honour the greatest sporting triumphs of 2019 and will award the greatest Laureus Sporting Moment of the last 20 years. This campaign shortlists 20 sporting stories from the last 20 years that have left their mark on the world.

With three knock-out rounds, the top-20 moments will be whittled down to 10 and then five, with the top-five moments going head-to-head, with one moment ultimately crowned the winner of Laureus Sporting Moment 2000-2020.