The 5 teams that played against each other under the East Zone in the Ranji Trophy, 1998-99 were playing in the tournament for the previous several editions. The regular participating teams of the premium domestic cricket tournament in India were mainly representing different states from the Eastern region of India. The teams included the likes of Bengal, Tripura, Assam, Orissa and Bihar and all of them tried their best to become one of the top three teams in the zone. The teams also gave their best efforts to secure a berth in the Super League stage of the tournament, however, only the teams like Bengal, Orissa and Bihar could do so from the zone. The Bengal, Orissa and Bihar teams earned a total of 26, 21 and 19 points, respectively from the zonal level league matches to get into the Super League stage of the tournament.

The East Zone league matches in the Ranji Trophy, 1998-99 started with the match between the teams of Assam and Bihar and the two teams played the match at Guwahati from 05-08 November, 1998. The match remained drawn during the specified period of time and the match officials awarded the Bihar and Assam teams 5 and 3 points, respectively for the match. The second math of the zone saw the teams of Tripura and Orissa playing against each other at Agartala from 05-08 November, 1998. The Orissa team played very well in the match and clinched a victory of 155 runs for earning 8 points from the match. However, the Tripura team remained pointless in the match. The Orissa team appeared in the third match of the zone also and this time, it played against the Assam team at Guwahati from 13-16 November, 1998. The drawn match saw the Orissa team earning 5 points and Assam earning 3 points from it.

The match between the teams of Bengal and Bihar was the fourth of the East Zone league matches in the Ranji Trophy, 1998-99 and the match was held at Calcutta from 13-16 November, 1998. The Bengal and Bihar teams earned 5 and 3 points, respectively from the match, as it remained drawn during the stipulated duration. The next match of the East Zone involved the teams like Bengal and Orissa and the match took place at Calcutta from 22-25 November, 1998. There was no winner in the match and the Bengal and Orissa teams earned 5 and 3 points, respectively from the drawn match. The Tripura team then played against the Assam team in the next match of the zone and the match was held at Agartala from 22-25 November, 1998. Both the Assam and Tripura teams earned 3 points, each from the drawn match.

The Assam team appeared in the seventh of the East Zone league matches in the Ranji Trophy, 1998-99 also and this time, it played against the Bengal team at Maligaon from 25-28 December, 1998. The winner of the match was the Bengal team with a very good margin of an innings and 206 runs and the team also earned 8 points from it. However, the Assam team failed to earn any points from the match. The Bihar and Tripura teams played against each other in the next match of the zone and the two teams played the match at Jamshedpur from 25-28 December, 1998. The Bihar team played extremely well in the match and clinched a huge victory of 9 wickets to earn 8 points from it. The Tripura team could not earn even a single point from the match. The Tripura team then played against the Bengal team in the next match of the East Zone and the match was held at Calcutta from 02-05 January, 1999. The Bengal team earned 8 points from the match by clinching a victory of an innings and 16 runs and the Tripura team remained pointless in the match. The last of the East Zone league matches in the Ranji Trophy, 1998-99 involved the teams like Bihar and Orissa and the match was organised at Jamshedpur from 02-05 January, 1999. The match remained drawn during the specified period of time and the match officials awarded the Orissa and Bihar teams 5 and 3 points, respectively for the match.