In the East Zone of the Ranji Trophy, 1987-88, five teams played against each other, all the regular participants in the tournament. All the teams were representing different states from the Eastern region of India and they included the likes of Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Tripura and Orissa. The teams competed with each other first in the zonal level league matches with a view to become one of the top two teams in the zone and then, the top two teams entered into the knock out level of the tournament. The teams like Bihar and Bengal became the toppers in the zone, with total of 66 and 60 points, respectively and they fought with the top teams from the other zones in the knock out level, for the coveted championship title.

The Bihar and Tripura teams played against each other in the first of the East Zone league matches in the Ranji Trophy, 1987-88 and the two teams played the match at Hazaribagh from 05-07 January, 1988. The Bihar team started its journey in the tournament on a positive note, as it won the match with a margin of an innings and 144 runs and also earned 24 points from the match. The Tripura team also earned 3 points from the match. The second match of the zone was played between the teams of Bihar and Assam and the match was held at Jamshedpur from 10-12 January, 1988. The Bihar team played very well in this match also and earned 15 points by winning it with a margin of 185 runs. The Assam team earned 4 points from the match, as well. The Orissa and Tripura teams clashed with each other in the third match of the zone, which took place at Cuttack from 11-13 January, 1988. The winner of the match was the Orissa team with a big margin of an innings and 151 runs to earn 24 points and the Tripura team also earned 2 points from the match.

The Orissa team appeared in the fourth of the East Zone league matches in the Ranji Trophy, 1987-88 also and this time, it played against the Assam team at Sambalpur from 15-17 January, 1988. The match saw the Orissa team earning 17 points by clinching a victory of 156 runs and it also saw the Assam team earning 7 points from it. The Bengal team appeared in the next match of the zone, when it played its first zonal match in the tournament against the Tripura team at Calcutta from 15-17 January, 1988. The Bengal team got a very good start in the tournament, as it won this match with a margin of an innings and 206 runs and the team also earned 23 points from the match. The earning of the Tripura team from the match was only 1 point. The next match of the zone involved the teams like Orissa and Bihar and the two teams clashed with each other at Sambalpur from 22-24 January, 1988. The match remained drawn during the stipulated duration and the match officials awarded the Bihar and Orissa teams 16 and 10 points, respectively for the match.

There was a match between the teams of Bengal and Assam in the seventh of the East Zone league matches in the Ranji Trophy, 1987-88 and the match took place at Calcutta from 22-24 January, 1988. The Bengal and Assam teams earned 16 and 7 points, respectively from the drawn match. The next match of the zone saw a huge clash between the two most powerful teams of the zone, Bengal and Bihar and the two teams played the match at Ranchi from 27-29 January, 1988. None of the teams could win the match and the Bihar and Bengal teams earned 11 and 7 points, respectively from the drawn match. The Assam and Tripura teams played against each other in the next match of the zone, which took place at Guwahati from 10-12 February, 1988. The Assam team played very well in the match and earned 24 points, by clinching a victory of an innings and 104 runs and the Tripura team also earned 3 points from the match. The last of the East Zone league matches in the Ranji Trophy, 1987-88 was played between the teams of Orissa and Bengal and the two teams played the match at Cuttack from 16-18 February, 1988. The drawn match saw the Bengal team earning 14 points and Orissa earning 7 points from it.