The North Zone of the Ranji Trophy, 1985-86 was comprised of 6 teams, including the new team in the zone, the Himachal Pradesh. Apart from the Himachal Pradesh team, all the other 5 regular teams in the zone were also present there in the tournament. The team list of the North Zone included the likes of Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir, Services and Himachal Pradesh and all of them were coming from the Northern region of India. The teams played against each other in the zonal level league matches for becoming one of the top two teams in the zone and also for securing a birth in the knock out level of the tournament. However, the teams like Delhi and Haryana eventually became successful to do so from the zone, as they earned total of 100 and 98 points, respectively from the zonal level league matches.

The first of the North Zone league matches in the Ranji Trophy, 1985-86 was played between the teams of Jammu & Kashmir and Delhi at Srinagar from 15-17 September, 1985. The Delhi team played very well in the match and clinched a huge victory of an innings and 111 runs for earning 30 points from the match. The Jammu & Kashmir team earned 4 points from the match, as well. The second match of the zone saw a clash between the teams of Jammu & Kashmir and Punjab and the two teams played the match at Srinagar from 20-22 September, 1985. The winner of the match was the Punjab team with a margin of 8 wickets and the team earned 27 points from the match. The Jammu & Kashmir team also earned 6 points from the match. The teams of Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh clashed with each other in the third match of the zone, which took place at Srinagar from 30 September-02 October, 1985. The match saw the Jammu & Kashmir team winning by an innings and 66 runs and earning 30 points from it and the Himachal Pradesh team also earned 3 points from the match.

The Jammu & Kashmir team appeared in the fourth of the North Zone league matches in the Ranji Trophy, 1985-86 also and this time, it played against the Haryana team at Haryana from 04-06 October, 1985. The match remained drawn during the stipulated duration and the match officials awarded the Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir teams 10 and 7 points, respectively for the match. The next match of the zone was played between the teams of Services and Jammu & Kashmir and the teams played the match at Srinagar from 08-10 October, 1985. The drawn match saw both the Services and Jammu & Kashmir teams earning 4 points, each for the match. The Punjab and Delhi teams then played against each other in the next match of the zone and the match was held at Jullundar from 02-04 November, 1985. The Delhi and Punjab teams earned 4 and 3 points, respectively from the drawn match.

The teams of Haryana and Services clashed with ach other in the seventh of the North Zone league matches in the Ranji Trophy, 1985-86 and the match took place at Chandigarh from 02-05 November, 1985. The Haryana team played wonderfully in the match and earned 28 points by clinching a victory of an innings and 61 runs and the Services team earned 4 points from the match, as well. The Next match of the zone involved the teams like Punjab and Himachal Pradesh and the match was held at Jullundur from 07-09 November, 1985. The match was won by the Punjab team with a margin of an innings and 154 runs and the team also earned 32 points from the match. The match also saw the Himachal Pradesh team earning 3 points from it. The clash between the teams of Delhi and Haryana took place in the next match of the zone, which was held at Delhi from 07-09 November, 1985. The Delhi team clinched a huge victory of 10 wickets in the match for earning 26 points and the Haryana team also earned 5 points from the match.

The clash between the teams of Services and Himachal Pradesh took place in the tenth of the North Zone league matches in the Ranji Trophy, 1985-86 and the two teams played the match at Delhi from 12-14 November, 1985. Playing very well in the match, the Services team clinched a victory of an innings and 27 runs and earned 31 points from the match and the Himachal Pradesh team earned 7 points from the match, as well. The next match of the zone was played between the teams of Haryana and Punjab and the two teams played the match at Faridabad from 12-14 November, 1985. The match saw the Haryana team winning by 9 wickets and earning 25 points and it also saw the Punjab team earning 6 points from it. The Haryana team appeared in the next match of the zone also and this time, it played against the Himachal Pradesh team at Rohtak from 17-19 November, 1985. The winner of the match was the Haryana team with a margin of an innings and 138 runs and the team also earned 30 points from it. The Himachal Pradesh team also earned 2 points from the match.

The next match of the zone saw a clash between the teams of Delhi and Himachal Pradesh and the match was held at Delhi from 25-27 November, 1985. The Delhi team earned 32 points from the match by clinching a victory of an innings and 165 runs and the Himachal Pradesh team also earned 2 points from the match. The teams of Punjab and Services played against each other in the next match of the zone and the match was held at Patiala from 30 November-02 December, 1985. The match remained drawn during the stipulated duration and it saw the Services and Punjab teams earning 8 and7 points, respectively from it. The last of the North Zone league matches in the Ranji Trophy, 1985-86 saw a clash between the teams of Delhi and Services, which took place at Delhi from 10-12 December, 1985. The Delhi and Services teams earned 8 and 3 points, respectively from the match, as it remained drawn during the specified period of time.