Mumbai: Virender Sehwag on Monday said that he was keen to be third time lucky when the 2011 World Cup is held in the subcontinent.

“The 2003 event was my first World Cup. India did very well to reach the final and everyone expected us to beat Australia, but unfortunately that did not happen. Now, I am very much looking forward to the 2011 event,” Sehwag said at a function to announce the schedule of the 2011 World Cup. “The World Cup is returning to India after 1996 and expectations are high.”

Asked about Sachin Tendulkar, for whom it would be the sixth — and probably the last — World Cup, Sehwag said, “We all know that Sachin is the God of Cricket. Now Yuvi (Yuvraj Singh) has given him a new name, ‘Grandpa of Cricket’. I am sure he will do well.”

Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara paid tributes to the 1996 winning team.

“That team revolutionised the way we played and watched the game in Sri Lanka. We are grateful to them and hopefully we can make our own piece of history,” he said.