Yash Vijay Rathod was born on May 16, 2000, in Nagpur, Maharashtra. A solid left-handed middle-order batter and occasional slow left-arm orthodox bowler, he progressed through the Vidarbha age-group ranks before earning selection for national youth setups. He received his early international exposure when he was named in India’s squad for the 2019 ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup in Bangladesh, making his List A debut against Nepal in November 2019. Shortly after, he made his Twenty20 debut for Vidarbha against Rajasthan during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in January 2021.

Rathod made his First-Class debut for Vidarbha during the 2021-22 Ranji Trophy season, establishing himself as a reliable, technically sound engine of the team's middle order. Over subsequent Ranji Trophy seasons, he established a reputation for playing long, clutch innings under pressure. His breakthrough red-ball campaign came during Vidarbha's run to the Ranji Trophy final, where he finished among the top run-scorers, highlighted by a vital 93 in the quarter-final against Karnataka and a composed century against Madhya Pradesh in the semi-finals.

His strong domestic performances earned him higher-level representative honors, including selection for Central Zone in the Duleep Trophy and Deodhar Trophy. In the Duleep Trophy final against South Zone, Rathod produced a career-best First-Class knock of 194, further cementing his credentials as one of the most consistent middle-order run-accumulators in Indian domestic cricket.

During the 2025-26 domestic season, Rathod maintained his steady form across red-ball and white-ball formats. In the Vijay Hazare Trophy, he produced crucial match-winning contributions, including two fine centuries for Vidarbha. In June 2026, he featured for the Orange Tigers in the inaugural Vidarbha Pro T20 League.

In September 2026, Rathod earned a major milestone in his representative career when the BCCI named him in the India A multi-day squad for the home series against Australia A in Puducherry. He subsequently featured in the playing XI for the first unofficial Test match, slotting into the middle order for India A.