The North Zone in the Ranji Trophy, 1988-89 was comprised of a number of 6 teams and all the teams were selected by the BCCI from the Northern region of India. All the teams had been playing in the tournament on a regular basis for the previous several editions and they included the likes of Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Delhi, Punjab and Services. Though, all the teams tried their best to become the topper in the zone, only the teams like Delhi and Punjab eventually claimed the top two spots in the North Zone. The two teams earned total of 94 and 77 points form the zonal level league matches and they also competed with the top teams from the other zones in the knock out level, for the championship title.

The first of the North Zone league matches in the Ranji Trophy, 1988-89 was played between the teams of Services and Jammu & Kashmir and the two teams played the match at Srinagar from 13-15 October, 1988. None of the teams could win the match during the stipulated duration and as a result, the match officials awarded the Services and Jammu & Kashmir teams 13 and 10 points, respectively for the match. The Jammu & Kashmir team then played against the Delhi team in the second match of the zone, which was held at Udhampur from 18-20 October, 1988. The Delhi team played very well in the match for clinching a victory of an innings and 63 runs and the team also earned 23 points from it. The earnings of the Jammu & Kashmir team from the match were 2 points. The next match of the zone involved the teams like Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir and the match took place at Srinagar from 23-25 October, 1988. Playing very well in the match, the Haryana team earned 18 points by clinching a huge victory of 10 wickets and the Jammu & Kashmir team also earned 5 points from the match.

The match between the teams of Jammu & Kashmir and Punjab was the fourth of the North Zone league matches in the Ranji Trophy, 1988-89 and the match was held at Srinagar from 28-30 October, 1988. The Punjab team won the match by a very good margin of an innings and 8 runs for earning 22 points and the Jammu & Kashmir team also earned 6 points from the match. The next match of the zone saw the Punjab team clashing with the Himachal Pradesh team at Una from 05-07 November, 1988. The winner of the match was the Punjab team with a margin of an innings and 46 runs and the team also earned 20 points from the match. The Himachal Pradesh team earned 3 points from the match, as well. The Himachal Pradesh team appeared in the next match of the zone also and this time, it played against the Haryana team at Una from 11-13 November, 1988. The Haryana and Himachal Pradesh teams earned 13 and 9 points from the drawn match.

The Punjab and Services teams clashed with each other in the seventh of the North Zone league matches in the Ranji Trophy, 1988-89 and the match was held at Delhi from 11-13 November, 1988. The match remained drawn during the specified period of time and the match officials awarded the Punjab and Services teams 13 and 11 points, respectively for the match. The Punjab team then played against the Delhi team in the next match of the zone, which was held at Delhi from 14-16 November, 1988. The match was also a drawn one and the Delhi and Punjab teams earned 13 and 7 points, respectively from the match. The next match of the zone saw the teams of Haryana and Services locking their horns together at Delhi from 16-18 November, 1988. The Haryana team played very well in the match and won it with a margin of an innings and 120 runs for earning 24 points and the Services team also earned 5 points from the match.

The Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh teams then clashed with each other in the next match of the zone and the match took place at Una from 16-18 November, 1988. The drawn match saw the Jammu & Kashmir team earning 12 points and the Himachal Pradesh team earning 5 points from it. Appearing in the 11th of the North Zone league matches in the Ranji Trophy, 1988-89 also, the Himachal Pradesh team clashed with the Services team and the two teams played the match at Palam from 20-22 November, 1988. The match also remained drawn during the specified period of time and the Services and Himachal Pradesh teams earned 13 and 7 points, respectively from the match. The next match of the zone involved the teams like Haryana and Delhi and the match was held at Faridabad from 20-22 November, 1988. The Delhi and Haryana teams earned 14 and 9 points, respectively from the drawn match.

There was a clash between the teams of Delhi and Himachal Pradesh in the next match of the North Zone, which took place at Delhi from 24-26 November, 1988. The match was won by the Delhi team with a huge margin of an innings and 268 runs and the team earned 24 points from the match. The Himachal Pradesh team also earned 1 point from the match. Then, the teams of Punjab and Haryana met with each other in the next match of the zone and the match was held at Ludhiana from 25-27 November, 1988. The Punjab team earned 15 points from the match by winning it with a margin of 165 runs and the Haryana team also earned 7 points from the match. The last of the North Zone league matches in the Ranji Trophy, 1988-89 saw a clash between the teams of Services and Delhi and the two teams played the match at Delhi from 28-30 November, 1988. The Delhi team finished the zonal level league matches on a positive note, as it won the match by a margin of 8 wickets for earning 20 points and the Services team earned 7 points from the match, as well.