Nandan Kumar Yadav was born on July 27, 2000, in Sirlahi, Nepal. Passionate about fast bowling from his school days, Yadav took up the game seriously on local clay pitches where pace bowlers rarely found much assistance. He developed a bustling run-up and a brisk right-arm medium-fast action, working hard to generate genuine bounce and skiddy pace from good lengths.

Yadav made his breakthrough in domestic tournaments representing Bagmati Province before eventually moving to the Armed Police Force (APF) setup. In a country traditionally dominated by spin bowling, his ability to hit the deck hard and trouble top-order batters caught the eye of national selectors. He worked diligently on his fitness and bowling craft, adding a sharp wobble-seam delivery and an accurate yorker to complement his natural speed.

Franchise cricket provided the ideal platform for Yadav to showcase his skills under pressure. Picked by Karnali Yaks for the Nepal Premier League (NPL), he embraced the difficult role of bowling during the powerplay and the death overs. His aggressive approach and determination to take wickets quickly turned him into a fan favorite and an essential component of Karnali's bowling strategy.

His steady domestic performances earned him a national call-up in 2025. He made his T20I debut against Qatar during the Hong Kong Quadrangular T20 Series in April 2025, followed by his ODI debut against the Netherlands in Dundee in June 2025. Bowling against capable international sides, Yadav showed great heart, claiming a best of 3/39 on his ODI debut. His emergence gave the national captain a reliable pace option to share the new ball alongside experienced seamers.

Yadav solidified his reputation as one of Nepal's brightest fast-bowling prospects. Having accumulated 19 wickets across the first two editions of the Nepal Premier League, he was retained by Karnali Yaks for the 2026 campaign. In January 2026, he reached another milestone in his career when he was named in Nepal's 15-player squad for the 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup, subsequently featuring in the tournament. Later in September the same year, he was also selected for the Asian Games, 2026, marking his consistency in white-ball cricket.