Our biggest strength has always been the fans. All over

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, that calm captain whose voice has always been steady as the earth and unshaken as the mountains, once spoke with simplicity yet with greatness: “Our biggest strength has always been the fans. All over, wherever we have gone, CSK has got support.” These words, though uttered in the realm of cricket, bear within them a truth older than kingdoms and deeper than seas—that no leader, no army, no team, can rise alone. The power of a people, united in spirit and in song, is the wellspring from which true strength flows.

The origin of these words lies in the journey of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), a team that has tasted both glory and exile. When Dhoni calls the fans their greatest strength, he acknowledges that trophies may glimmer, victories may swell the heart, but it is the unwavering presence of the people—their chants, their colors, their loyalty—that transforms mere sport into legend. In times of triumph, the cheers crowned the team; in times of banishment, when CSK was cast out of the league, the fans did not scatter. They waited, they endured, and when the team returned, they roared with a voice that shook the heavens. Truly, as Dhoni testifies, this support is the hidden shield that no rival could break.

Consider the story of 2018. After two years of silence, when many thought the lion’s roar had faded, CSK returned to the battlefield of the IPL. Their warriors were seasoned, even called “old men” by critics. Yet behind them marched an invisible army: the fans. The yellow sea of devotion filled stadiums far from Chennai, in Pune, in Mumbai, and beyond. Every boundary struck was multiplied by a thousand hearts; every wicket taken was celebrated as if by one body, one spirit. And so the team, bound to their people, rose again and claimed the crown. What weapon could defeat such unity? None. For as Dhoni declared, their biggest strength was not the bat, nor the ball, but the love of their people.

This truth is not for cricket alone. History resounds with the same melody. Recall the armies of ancient Greece at Marathon. Outnumbered, weary, and ill-prepared, they turned to one another and to their polis, their people, who stood behind them with unyielding faith. The warriors fought not only with their arms, but with the invisible strength of their citizens. So too with Winston Churchill, who in the darkest days of war declared that Britain would “never surrender.” His words ignited the people, and it was their support—their resolve in air raid shelters, their endurance in hunger—that made victory possible. Leaders and champions rise, but it is the people’s faith that crowns them.

Dhoni’s words thus echo a law of life: a leader is nothing without his people, and a people are stronger with their leader. This bond is sacred. The one inspires, the other sustains. The one fights on the field, the other fills the air with faith. Together they forge a power greater than either alone. So when Dhoni bows to the fans, he teaches humility; he shows that greatness is never solitary, but always shared.

What lesson then shall we take? That in our own lives, we too must recognize those who stand behind us. A student rises by the faith of her teachers, a soldier by the love of his homeland, a worker by the trust of his comrades, a parent by the laughter of children. Let no one boast of victories as if they are his alone; rather, remember the unseen multitude who carried you on their shoulders. As CSK was upheld by its people, so too are you upheld by yours.

Therefore, cultivate gratitude. Speak often of those who support you. Cherish your community, your family, your friends, your companions in labor. When you triumph, do not forget them; when you fall, let their strength lift you. And if you would be great, like Dhoni, learn to bow before the very voices that lifted you high. For in truth, the greatest strength is never the lone warrior, but the many hearts beating as one.

Take this as your guide: seek not to rise alone, but to rise together. For wherever faith, loyalty, and love are gathered, there too is a power that no exile can banish, no rival can conquer, and no storm can destroy. That is the strength of the people, and it is the mightiest crown a leader can wear.