Despite being decimated by Rajasthan Royals (RR) in their IPL 2026 opener, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad does not feel 'frustrated at all'.

The five-time champions were outclassed in all facets of the game at Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati. CSK were bundled out for a paltry 127 in 19.4 overs, and had No.8 Jamie Overton not contributed 43 runs, their innings could have folded under 100.

In reply, teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi blazed a 15-ball half-century as RR chased down the target in just 12.1 overs with eight wickets in hand, making it their biggest IPL win in terms of balls remaining.

Reflecting on the heavy loss, Gaikwad mentioned that the pitch was challenging early on, with significant assistance for fast bowlers like Jofra Archer and Nandre Burger.

He admitted that the team should have shown better "batsmanship" to take the game deeper and reach a more competitive total of 150-160 runs.

"(Frustrated?) Not much, to be honest. I felt the conditions at the start were really tough, especially when facing Jofra and Burger," Gaikwad said at the post-match presentation.

"They bowled brilliant lengths, and even after that, to a medium-pacer, it was slightly tough. You could see even the spinners were getting some assistance as well. Yes, we would have been better in batting, we would have taken the game deep, showed some batsmanship, maybe take the game till 150-160. But nowadays, you never know what's a good score, so you just have to keep going. So I think it was just one of those days where the wicket was slightly on the tougher side. So not frustrated at all," he added.

Gaikwad emphasized putting the poor performance behind them quickly, with the next game scheduled in three days. He viewed the match as a beneficial learning experience, saying it was "good to start with a lot of mistakes" to enable improvement.

"You just put it behind you and move on. We've got a game in another three days. Make sure that everyone is in a good headspace. One good thing is that there are a lot of youngsters in the group. So, probably a nervy start for everyone, but good to get a game behind and good to start with a lot of mistakes. Hopefully, it will be just an improvement after this. I'm someone who's not a firm believer in going all the way," Gaikwad remarked.

"But, with the impact player, you never really know what the good score is or what the par score is. So you don't really often see games going down the line till the 20th over when you're defending 150, 160 or 170. So I think it's just about backing yourself, backing your game for the batsmen. If you have it in your area, just make sure you go for it. Today it didn't work, but we can be better in batsmanship. You just have to be positive, especially when you're batting first. If conditions are good, you never know, the same batting line-up can put a good score," he concluded.

Chennai Super Kings will face Punjab Kings in their second match of the IPL 2026 season on April 3 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.