The number of participating teams in the Ranji Trophy, 1986-87 was decreased significantly in comparison to the earlier editions, as the tournament saw the participation of only 23 teams. The teams were selected by the BCCI from all the parts of India and they were mainly representing different states of India in the tournament. The teams included the likes of Andhra, Assam, Baroda, Bengal, Bihar, Bombay, Delhi, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Hyderabad, Jammu & Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Punjab, Railways, Rajasthan, Saurashtra, Services, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh and the Vidarbha. All the teams tried their best to do well in the tournament and also to win the coveted championship title, however, it was the Hyderabad team that eventually became successful to win the title.

Ranji Trophy 1986-87, Central Zone League Matches: The Central Zone in the Ranji Trophy, 1986-87 saw the participation of 5 teams, all the regular participants of the tournament. The BCCI selected the teams from the Central region of India and most of them were representing different states from that region in the tournament. The participating teams in the zone included the likes of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Vidarbha and Railways. The teams played against each other with the aim of claiming the top spot in the zone and also to get an entry into the knock out level of the tournament. However, only the teams like Rajasthan and Railways eventually became successful to secure a birth in the knock out level of the tournament, they earned the most of the points from the league matches. The Rajasthan team earned 54 points and Railways earned 44 points, at the end of the zonal level league matches.

Ranji Trophy 1986-87, East Zone League Matches: The East Zone of the Ranji Trophy, 1986-87 was comprised of a number of 5 teams, the teams that played in the previous edition of the tournament, also. The teams were representing different states from the Eastern region of India in the tournament and most of them were also the regular participants in the tournament. The teams included the likes of Tripura, Assam, Orissa, Bengal and Bihar and they competed with each other very hard for becoming one of the top two teams in the zone. The teams also tried their best to get a promotion to the knock out level of the tournament, however, only the teams like Bengal and Bihar could do so from the zone. The Bengal and Bihar teams became the toppers in the zone with total of 69 and 52 points, respectively and they competed with the top teams of the other zone in the knock out level, for the championship title.

Ranji Trophy 1986-87, North Zone League Matches: There were a number of 6 teams that competed against each other under the North Zone in the Ranji Trophy, 1986-87 and all the teams were coming from the Northern region of India. All the teams were the regular participants in the tournament and they included the likes of Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh and Services. The teams gave their best efforts to claim the top spot in the zone with a view to secure a birth in the knock out level of the tournament. However, the Haryana and Delhi teams eventually became successful to do so from the zone, as they earned total of 75 and 73 points, respectively, at the end of the zonal level league matches.

Ranji Trophy 1986-87, South Zone League Matches: A number of 6 teams played against each other under the South Zone in the Ranji Trophy, 1986-87 and the teams were representing different states from the Southern region of India. The teams had been participating in the tournament on a regular for the previous several editions and they included the likes of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Goa, Hyderabad, Andhra and Kerala. Though all of them tried hard to get a chance in the knock out level of the tournament by claiming the top spot in the zone, only the teams like Karnataka and Hyderabad could eventually do so from the zone. The Karnataka team earned a total of 75 points and Hyderabad earned 61 points, at the end of the zonal level league matches to become the top two teams in the South Zone.

Ranji Trophy 1986-87, West Zone League Matches: There was no change in the team list of the West Zone in the tournament, as all the regular 5 teams played against each other under the West Zone in the Ranji Trophy, 1986-87. The teams included the likes of Bombay, Baroda, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Saurashtra and they were representing various states situated in the Western region of India. The teams gave their best efforts for becoming one of the top two teams in the zone and also for securing a birth in the knock out level of the tournament. However, the teams like Bombay and Gujarat could eventually do so from the West Zone, as they became the toppers in the zone by earning total of 62 and 44 points, respectively from the zonal level league matches.

Ranji Trophy 1986-87, Knock out Matches: The BCCI selected the top ten teams of the tournament for competing in the knock out level, once the zonal level league matches in all the zones were completed. The teams was comprised of the top two teams from each and every zone in the tournament and the teams played against each other in the knock out matches of the Ranji Trophy, 1986-87. The teams included the likes of Bengal, Bihar, Rajasthan, Railways, Delhi, Haryana, Gujarat, Bombay, Karnataka and Hyderabad. The teams took part in the Pre-Quarter-Finals, Quarter-Finals, Semi-Finals and Final match of the tournament with the one and only objective of becoming the champion in the Ranji Trophy, 1986-87. However, it was the Hyderabad team that eventually became successful to clinch the title with an impressive performance in the Final, against the Delhi team.