Indian batsman Suresh Raina has denied former Indian Premier League (IPL) Commissioner Lalit Modi’s allegations that he was involved in accepting bribes from a businessman, days after the player's name surfaced in a leaked email to the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Raina said he would be pursuing legal action against Modi, insisting that he had never been involved in corrupt practices.

“In the wake of recent media reports about me, I would like to make my fans around the world aware and clear the air that I have always played the game in right spirit and with utmost integrity,” the 28-year-old batsman, who has represented India in 18 Tests and 218 ODIs, said in a statement issued by a sports management firm, Rhiti Sports, with which he is associated.

“I have never been involved in any wrong doing and all allegations against me are false. Playing cricket is my passion for whichever team I have represented. I'm also figuring out my legal rights to take the right steps ahead in this matter.”

In the letter, from June 2013, the controversial Modi alleged that the players had received illegal payments to the amount of Rs 20 crores each from an Indian real estate mogul.

In the ‘confidential’ mail that had surfaced on Twitter last week, Modi released details of the alleged corruption to ICC Chief Executive Officer David Richardson.

“The players are in close contact with real estate tycoon (name withheld). He is also a big punter and also book maker. I had banned him from bidding for any IPL teams … Reliable sources have informed me that he has paid in cash and kind (flats) to the above three in tune of 20 cr each,” Modi said in the letter.

The ICC on June 28 confirmed receiving the letter and said it had shared its details with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

“The ICC confirms that Mr Modi’s confidential e-mail, which was received in June 2013, and which has recently been published on Twitter, was provided to the ACSU at the time.

“The ACSU handled that information in accordance with its standard operating procedures, which included sharing it with the BCCI’s anti-corruption unit,” the ICC statement said.

It is unclear whether any headway was made into the inquiry by the ICC's Anti-corruption Unit.

The IPL season in 2013 was mired in controversy after police launched legal proceedings against several officials and cricketers, including former Test fast bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, for illegal betting and spot-fixing.