All the regular 5 teams like Bihar, Orissa, Assam, Tripura and Bengal participated under the East Zone in the Ranji Trophy, 1988-89 and the teams were mainly representing different states from the Eastern region of India. The teams took part in the zonal level league matches and competed with each other with a view of becoming one of the top two teams in the zone. They also had an objective to get a chance for competing with the top teams of the other zones in the knock out level of the tournament, for the prestigious championship title. However, the teams like Bengal and Orissa eventually got into the knock out level from the East Zone, as they earned total of 65 and 56 points, at the end of the zonal level league matches.

The teams of Assam and Bengal clashed with each other in the first of the East Zone league matches in the Ranji Trophy, 1988-89 and the match was held at Guwahati from 25-27 November, 1988. The Bengal and Assam teams earned 14 and 5 points, respectively from the match, as it remained drawn during the stipulated duration. The second match of the zone was played between the teams of Bihar and Assam and the two teams played the match at Maligaon from 02-04 December, 1988. The match remained drawn during the specified period of time and the match officials awarded the Bihar and Assam teams 13 and 6 points, respectively for the match. The third match of the zone saw a clash between the teams of Bengal and Tripura and the clash took place at Calcutta from 02-04 December, 1988. The Bengal team played very well in the match for earning 22 points by clinching a victory of an innings and 123 runs and the Tripura team also earned 1 point form the match.

There was a clash between the teams of Bihar and Orissa in the fourth of the East Zone league matches in the Ranji Trophy, 1988-89 and the match was organised at Hazaribagh from 09-11 December, 1988. The drawn match saw the Orissa team earning 10 points and Bihar earning 6 points from it. The next match of the zone involved the teams like Tripura and Orissa and the two teams played the match at Rourkela from 27-29 December, 1988. The Orissa team earned 24 points from the match by winning it with a very good margin of an innings and 168 runs and the Tripura team also earned 3 points from the match. The Orissa team appeared in the next match of the zone also and this time, it played against the Bengal team at Calcutta from 06-08 January, 1989. The closely contested match saw the Bengal team winning by a narrow margin of only 3 wickets and also earning 18 points from it. The Orissa team earned 9 points from the match, as well.

The Tripura and Bihar teams took part in the seventh of the East Zone league matches in the Ranji Trophy, 1988-89 and the match took place at Giridh from 06-08 January, 1989. The winner of the match was the Bihar team with a margin of an innings and 96 runs and the team also earned 22 points from the match. The match also saw the Tripura team earning 4 points from it. The Assam and Orissa teams then played against each other in the next match of the zone, which was held at Guwahati from 12-14 January, 1989. The Orissa team won the match by a margin of 5 wickets for earning 17 points and the Assam team also earned 10 points from the match. The clash between the teams of Bengal and Bihar took place in the next match of the zone and the two teams played the match at Calcutta from 12-14 January, 1989. The Bengal team earned 11 points and Bihar earned 10 points from the match that remained drawn during the stipulated duration. The last of the East Zone league matches in the Ranji Trophy, 1988-89 involved the teams like Assam and Tripura and the match was organised at Guwahati from 17-19 January, 1989. The Assam team showed a very good performance in the match and clinched a victory of 9 wickets to earn 16 points and the Tripura team also earned 3 points from the match.