Bhubaneswar, Jan. 5: Tickets for the Kalinga Lancers' matches in the upcoming Hockey India League went on sale on a ticket booking website yesterday.

Hockey enthusiasts will be able to book their tickets through www.bookmyshow.com for the Lancers' five home matches, all of which will be played at the Kalinga Sports Complex here. According to franchise officials, the tickets have been priced between Rs 50 and Rs 150.

Susanta Kumar Dash, executive director of the Kalinga Lancers franchise, said they were hopeful of good sales following a successful season last time when the franchise had finished in second place after losing to the Punjab Warriors in the final.

"The sales have started much before the tournament kicks off in order to ensure that there wasn't any last minute rush for tickets. We are hopeful of a full house in all the matches after last season's spirited performance," said Dash.

The home team will begin its campaign on January 22 against the Delhi Waveriders. The Lancers' next two clashess against the Ranchi Rays and the Uttar Pradesh Wizards are scheduled for January 23 and 29.

Matches against the Punjab Warriors and Dabang Mumbai on February 3 and February 5 respectively will bring the curtains down on the Lancers' home run this season.

The Lancers have had mixed fortunes during their three outings in the tournament so far. Having made their debut in the second edition of the league in 2014, the Lancers managed only two wins, winning the proverbial "wooden spoon" after finishing last in the points' table. They one better with three wins in the following campaign, climbing to fifth place on the table. However, the last season saw its best performance so far after finishing in second place.

Former India captain and Rajya Sabha member Dillip Tirkey said the league had created a lot of buzz in the state and people of Odisha are excited to see the level of hockey that is being played.

"The sport was popular in the tribal districts, especially Sundargarh, but failed to attract support from the urban crowd. However, with the arrival of the league, people are getting the chance to witness some of the biggest names in international hockey from up close, adding much-needed momentum to the popularity of the sport," he said.

He is hopeful that this season will be no different than the previous ones and wants the Lancers to live up to expectations of the state's hockey lovers. The fifth season of the tournament kicks off in Mumbai on January 21.