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.

The East Zone league matches in the Ranji Trophy, 1986-87 started with the match between the teams of Orissa and Tripura that was held at Calcutta from 05-07 December, 1986. The Orissa and Tripura teams earned 13 and 6 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 Assam and Bihar and the two teams played the match at Guwahati from 05-07 December, 1986. The match was a drawn one and it saw the Bihar and Assam teams earning 14 and 8 points, respectively from it. The Assam team appeared in the third match of the zone against the Orissa team and the match took place at Guwahati from 12-14 December, 1986. The drawn match saw the Orissa team earning 12 points and Assam earning 8 points from it.

The Bengal team played its first match in the tournament against the Tripura team and the match was the fourth of the East Zone league matches in the Ranji Trophy, 1986-87. The match was held at Calcutta from 12-14 December, 1986 and the Bengal team earned 24 points from the match, by clinching a huge victory of 351 runs. The Tripura team also earned 5 points from the match. The Bihar and Orissa teams then clashed with each other in the next match of the zone and the match took place at Ranchi from 17-19 December, 1986. The match was declared as an abandoned one by the match officials without even a single ball was bowled and both the Bihar and Orissa teams earned 4 points, each from the match. The next match of the zone involved the teams like Assam and Bengal and the two teams played the match at Guwahati from 17-19 December, 1986. The Bengal and Assam teams earned 16 and 7 points, respectively from the drawn match.

The seventh of the East Zone league matches in the Ranji Trophy, 1986-87 was played between the teams of Bihar and Tripura and the match was held at Jamshedpur from 24-26 December, 1986. Playing very well in the match, the Bihar team clinched a victory of an innings and 160 runs and the team also earned 24 points from the match. The Tripura team earned 4 points from the match, as well. The Bengal and Orissa teams then clashed with each other in the next match of the zone and the match was held at Calcutta from 24-26 December, 1986. The drawn match saw the Bengal and Orissa teams earning 17 and 13 points, respectively from it. The Bengal team then played against the Bihar team in the next match of the zone, which took place at Calcutta from 08-10 January, 1987. The match also remained drawn during the stipulated duration and the match officials awarded the Bengal and Bihar teams 12 and 8 points, respectively for the match. The last of the East Zone league matches in the Ranji Trophy, 1986-87 saw a clash between the teams of Assam and Tripura and the match was held at Silchar from 08-10 January, 1987. The Assam team earned 22 points from the match, by winning it with a margin of an innings and the Tripura team also earned 2 points from the match.