Predicting 3 players who could score the most runs in India vs Australia series

Team India will host Australia in a three-match ODI series in their final leg of preparations for the ICC ODI World Cup. The series will get underway on Friday, September 22, in Mohali.

The Indian think tank has rested the big guns for the first two games, while they will return for the final match of the series. KL Rahul will lead the side in the absence of skipper Rohit Sharma and vice-captain Hardik Pandya.

The upcoming three games will also be an audition for veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who made a comeback to the Indian side. The off-spinner has played only two 50-over games in the last six years.

It will also be a preparatory ground for many Australian cricketers, who are making a return from injury. Pat Cummins, Steve Smith, and Mitchell Starc will look to shrug off their rustiness before the showpiece event.

The Men in Blue are fresh from their Asia Cup victory and will look to continue the momentum leading up to the showpiece event. The Aussies, on the other hand, squandered a 2-0 lead to lose 2-3 against South Africa before landing in India.

Players from both sides have had significant gametime under their belts and will relish playing on Indian wickets to fine-tune their skills before the World Cup begins. The wickets would also offer plenty of runs as has been the case in the past.

On that note, let's look at three players who can finish as the highest run-scorers in the series.

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#1 Shubman Gill

There were doubts about Shubman Gill's form ahead of the Asia Cup 2023. However, he has put all those to bed with scintillating form throughout the tournament.

The right-handed batter finished as the highest run-scorer of the competition with 302 runs from six games at an average of 75.50, including one hundred and two half-centuries.

Gill also became the first batter to score 1000 ODI runs in this calendar year. Currently, he has 1052 runs under his belt from 18 matches, including a double century.

The young opener will look to add more runs to his tally in the upcoming series against Australia. Given the form he is in, expect Gill to use the next three games as a perfect rehearsal pad for the mega event.

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#2 Steve Smith

Former Australian skipper Steve Smith will return to competitive action for the first time after tearing a tendon in his left wrist during the second Ashes Test at Lord’s.

He batted for two hours against the likes of Cummins, Starc, and Josh Hazlewood in the nets and said he is feeling like "a million bucks."

Smith will hope to get into rhythm before the World Cup begins and the upcoming three matches hold great significance for him after he missed the South Africa series. The right-handed batter will look to spend some time in the middle and make the most of the upcoming series against the Men in Blue.

The New South Wales cricketer enjoys a decent record against India, amassing 1145 runs in 24 matches at an impressive average of 57.25, including five centuries and fifties each.

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#3 KL Rahul

The wicketkeeper-batter returned to action in the recently concluded Asia Cup 2023 after a long injury layoff. He gave a good account of himself in the continental tournament and will hope to build on it against the Aussies.

KL Rahul scored 169 runs in three innings at an astronomical average of 84.50, including an unbeaten 111 against arch-rivals Pakistan in a Super Four clash.

With additional responsibilities of leading the side in the first two games, Rahul would look to take some time to build his innings. Thus, he will have a good chance of playing big knocks after getting his eye in.