The Central Zone of the premium domestic cricket tournament in India, Ranji Trophy, 1989-90 comprised of 5 teams. All the teams were coming from the central region of India and they were also the regular participants of the tournament. The teams included the likes of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Vidarbha, Madhya Pradesh and Railways and they gave their best efforts to become one of the top two teams in the zone. The main reason behind the teams` endeavours was to get a chance in the knock out level of the tournament. A place in the knock out level will ensure that they could vie for the championship title. However, only the teams from Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh were successful from the Central zone. These teams earned a total of 63 and 58 points respectively at the end of the zonal level league matches.

The teams of Railways and Uttar Pradesh played the first matches of the Central Zone in the Ranji Trophy, 1989-90. The two teams played the match at Delhi from 15-17 October, 1989. The match was drawn during the stipulated duration and the Railways and Uttar Pradesh teams earned 25 and 4 points respectively from it. The second match of the zone was played between the teams of Vidarbha and Rajasthan and the match was held at Jaipur from 15-17 October, 1989. The Rajasthan team won the match with a margin of 6 wickets and earned 17 points from it. The Vidarbha team also earned 8 points from the match. The Vidarbha team was a part of the third match of the Central Zone also and this time it played against the Railways team at Nagpur from 18-20 October, 1989. The drawn match saw both the Vidarbha and Railways teams earning 9 points each.

The Uttar Pradesh and Vidarbha teams then played against each other in the fourth of the Central Zone league matches in the Ranji Trophy, 1989-90 and the match took place at Kanpur from 21-23 October, 1989. Playing very well in the match, the Uttar Pradesh team earned 24 points by clinching a victory of an innings and 220 runs. The Vidarbha team earned 1 point from the match. The next match of the zone was held between the Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh teams at Jaipur from 5-7 November, 1989. The winner of the match was the Madhya Pradesh team with a margin of an innings and 82 runs and the team also earned 20 points from the match. The Rajasthan team earned 2 points from the match. The Madhya Pradesh team appeared in the next match of the Central zone and this time it played against the Uttar Pradesh team at Indore from 18-20 November, 1989. The match was a draw and the match officials awarded the Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh teams 13 and 11 points respectively.

Madhya Pradesh cricket team earned 7 points in the 7th match of the Central Zone league matches in the Ranji Trophy, 1989-90. They played against the Railways team. The match was held at Gwalior from 26-28 November, 1989 and the Railways team also earned 11 points from the drawn match. The next match of the zone involved the teams of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan and the two teams played the match at Kanpur from 26-28 November, 1989. The match was won by the Uttar Pradesh team with a margin of an innings and 49 runs and the team earned 22 points from the match. The match also saw the Rajasthan team earning 3 points from it. The Railways and Rajasthan teams then clashed with each other in the next match of the zone and the match was held at Delhi from 01-03 December, 1989. The Railways and Rajasthan teams earned 13 and 10 points respectively from the drawn match. The last of the Central Zone league matches in the Ranji Trophy, 1989-90 was played between the teams of Vidarbha and Madhya Pradesh and the two teams played the match at Yeotmal from 01-03 December, 1989. The Madhya Pradesh team earned 13 points and Vidarbha team earned 10 points from the drawn match.