A novel heuristic approach to resource estimation and target determination in interrupted and shortened Twenty20 cricket matches is presented. The present approach mimics Kleiber's allometric relation to define the effective resources for a team. Unlike existing methods, the present methodology computes the resources using a simple non-statistical method to decide on the revised target, called the Kleiber target, in interrupted matches. The proposed approach is applied to a wide range of real-match scenarios involving one or more interruptions. Case studies show that the Kleiber target is consistent and reasonable over a spectrum of match situations and offers an inexpensive, robust and elegant methodology to reset targets in shortened Twenty20 matches. © 2015 Institution of Mechanical Engineers.